The best things are free…

The Brief 

Can you help a 103-year-old rediscover their mojo?

This was a question lobbed into the …Gasp! inbox from an unknown source.

Luckily, this wasn't a crackpot centenarian looking for one last chance at love. Instead it was from a company who, despite being around before the war, being absolutely massive and boasting 140,000 members, no one in the office had ever heard of. Good start.

Enter CSSC.

The Civil Service Sports Council, to use their full name, is a not-for-profit membership organisation exclusively for civil service and public sector workers to help them lead happier and healthier lives. Over its rich and varied history CSSC has evolved into something totally unrecognisable from its humble origins.

We were tasked with untangling a web of complexity that any company naturally spins over the course of a century, with a tight brief to articulate what the CSSC DNA was all about in a way that would inspire the everyday heroes working in the civil service and public sectors to sit up and take notice of this unique organisation that exists only to serve them. Building fame and resonating with the CSSC audience on a more emotional level were two guiding thoughts from the get-go.

The Response 

Do you know how most good ideas start in the pub, well for us, most good client relationships start in a room with a bazillion Post-it Notes and not a screen in sight. We need this time to immerse ourselves (and our idiot brains) in the client’s world. It’s the first, and only, chance to bring a full dose of outsider perspective, which is exactly what the CSSC team were looking for.

Following this seriously insightful facetime we moved swiftly into a full diagnosis, reviewing all qual and quant data (stakeholder interviews & brand survey) as well as conducting a competitor analysis to give us a proper 3 C’s perspective on the playing field in which we’re trying to win.

Through this extensive diagnosis, we identified three critical learnings that guided our strategy:

• Need for Clear Direction: CSSC had struggled to communicate a concise and memorable description of its offerings, leading to inconsistent messaging and potential member confusion. As one internal stakeholder put it, “The problem is that we aren’t currently able to sum up what we do. We have to give a very long answer, and people then switch off.”  This insight underscored the need for a clearer, more impactful positioning that members could quickly understand.
   
• Broad Appeal: CSSC’s strength was in its wide-ranging appeal, offering everything from family activities and sports to discounts and wellbeing benefits for a small monthly fee. However, this broad scope risked diluting the brand identity, making it feel like a “jack of all trades, master of none.” As one stakeholder remarked, “We try to be all things to all people, but we need to be better at showing people the value they’re getting from membership.” 
   
• Real Value in Experiences: Members expressed that what they valued most was not just the discounts but the experiences and social interactions CSSC unlocks. Many saw CSSC’s events and community-driven activities as unique value adds that competitors didn’t offer. One member shared, “CSSC makes memories, experiences, and communities for our members.” Another added, “Cost isn’t really an issue, especially when the theatre trips are included—the rewards of being a member far outweigh any cost."

The Big Idea

As we moved through the planning process, one word kept reappearing…’memories’, to the extent it couldn’t be ignored as the single biggest benefit CSSC offers. And really, these memories were actually a ‘free benefit’ of a CSSC membership. This led to the campaign line of ‘Best things are free, with CSSC’. A rhyming feel-good line that once you’ve heard it, stays stuck in your brain.

With the campaign positioning and point of differentiation locked, we turned our attention to dialling up distinctiveness. We moved away from standard stock imagery, which had previously made CSSC appear generic and soulless. Instead, we used unexpected, playful visuals that captured real-life experiences, whilst retaining CSSC brand codes to ensure everyone knew who it was.

The campaign idea then rolled out across broadcast and targeted media in a full-funnel campaign across the summer and beyond.

• Campaign Jingle and Radio Ad: “The best things are free with CSSC,” became an instantly recognisable jingle to end a carefully crafted radio spot that told the humorous story of an everyday dad getting stung by a bee whilst visiting one of CSSC’s partner attractions. 
   
• Dynamic Digital Ads: Out with the basic stock photos, in with the custom, vibrant visuals showing real CSSC memory making in action with distinctive hand-drawn. We focussed on three hero ideas, which each told their own mini story about what a CSSC membership offers.

The Response 

Do you know how most good ideas start in the pub, well for us, most good client relationships start in a room with a bazillion Post-it Notes and not a screen in sight. We need this time to immerse ourselves (and our idiot brains) in the client’s world. It’s the first, and only, chance to bring a full dose of outsider perspective, which is exactly what the CSSC team were looking for.

Following this seriously insightful facetime we moved swiftly into a full diagnosis, reviewing all qual and quant data (stakeholder interviews & brand survey) as well as conducting a competitor analysis to give us a proper 3 C’s perspective on the playing field in which we’re trying to win.

Through this extensive diagnosis, we identified three critical learnings that guided our strategy: 

Need for Clear Direction: CSSC had struggled to communicate a concise and memorable description of its offerings, leading to inconsistent messaging and potential member confusion. As one internal stakeholder put it, “The problem is that we aren’t currently able to sum up what we do. We have to give a very long answer, and people then switch off.”  This insight underscored the need for a clearer, more impactful positioning that members could quickly understand.

Broad Appeal: CSSC’s strength was in its wide-ranging appeal, offering everything from family activities and sports to discounts and wellbeing benefits for a small monthly fee. However, this broad scope risked diluting the brand identity, making it feel like a “jack of all trades, master of none.” As one stakeholder remarked, “We try to be all things to all people, but we need to be better at showing people the value they’re getting from membership.” 

The Big Idea

As we moved through the planning process, one word kept reappearing…’memories’, to the extent it couldn’t be ignored as the single biggest benefit CSSC offers. And really, these memories were actually a ‘free benefit’ of a CSSC membership. This led to the campaign line of ‘Best things are free, with CSSC’. A rhyming feel-good line that once you’ve heard it, stays stuck in your brain.

With the campaign positioning and point of differentiation locked, we turned our attention to dialling up distinctiveness. We moved away from standard stock imagery, which had previously made CSSC appear generic and soulless. Instead, we used unexpected, playful visuals that captured real-life experiences, whilst retaining CSSC brand codes to ensure everyone knew who it was.

The campaign idea then rolled out across broadcast and targeted media in a full-funnel campaign across the summer and beyond.

Campaign Jingle and Radio Ad: “The best things are free with CSSC,” became an instantly recognisable jingle to end a carefully crafted radio spot that told the humorous story of an everyday dad getting stung by a bee whilst visiting one of CSSC’s partner attractions. 

Dynamic Digital Ads: Out with the basic stock photos, in with the custom, vibrant visuals showing real CSSC memory making in action with distinctive hand-drawn. We focussed on three hero ideas, which each told their own mini story about what a CSSC membership offers.

The campaign delivered substantial results, including:

405% Increase in Click-Through Conversions: Combining the jingle and emotive digital ads drove a significant increase in conversions compared to the previous year’s campaign.

Greater Member Engagement and Awareness: Members expressed increased recognition of CSSC’s unique offerings, including niche activities that they hadn’t previously associated with the brand.

Through this campaign, CSSC have opened the door wide open to bringing more personality and more member-first thinking which has been well received both inside and out this hugely fascinating organisation. We’re already planning what next year looks like.