Off with their heads! Royal Jubilee 2022 and the rules for marketers.
With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year, we will inevitably see many marketers wanting to get in on the action. However, before you leap on the Royal bandwagon, you need to be aware that there are strict rules and guidelines to be followed to avoid ending up in the Tower of London.
Events connected to the monarchy have gripped our nation ever since Queen Victoria’s wedding back in 1840 when the Satirist wrote “We are all going stark, staring mad. Nothing is heard or thought of but doves and cupids, triumphal arches and white favours…”.
Royal weddings, births, Coronations and anniversaries have always been a symbol of national pride and celebration, and nowadays marketers frequently use them as a great opportunity to connect with the public.
In 2022 the Queen celebrates her 70th year of service with a year-long programme of festivities throughout the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. An extended bank holiday from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June will be the focus for people to celebrate this historic milestone, with public and communal events planned and it will be a logical time for marketers to run their campaigns around. Although the official guardian of the Queen’s image and rights is the Lord Chancellor, the majority of the main rules that you will need know can also be found in the CAP Code, overseen by the ASA:
- CAP Code Rule 6.2 says you should not feature the Royal Family in marketing communications without their permission – which you are unlikely to ever receive.
- Rule 3.52 bans you from using the Royal Arms or Emblems, or referring to a Royal Warrant without permission either
- The rules around souvenir products are quite strict to. You cannot imply a Royal endorsement or imply that a product is official memorabilia so watch out if you are developing royalty themed prizes for your promotion.
For more definitive guidance on the use of Royal logos, photographs and Titles visit the Lord Chamberlain’s Office’s website here and in the meantime here’s some ‘royal promotion’ inspiration for brands wishing to celebrate too next year;.
KFC Royal Bucket:
To celebrate Harry and Meghan’s 2018 royal wedding KFC created 25 bone China royal wedding buckets for a promotion exclusive only to their ‘Colonel Club’ members. They also created 50 cardboard versions only available from KFC’s Windsor brand on the Royal Wedding day itself.
British Rail
In 2012 in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, British Rail offered a promotion that transported visitors beyond the City of London and allowed them to experience more of England’s coastal beauty. The promotion consisted of getting an extra travel day when you purchased a British Rail London Plus Pass and, for those looking to get a glimpse into the royal life, you could get a Historic Royal 4 Palaces Pass for the price of 3 Palace Passes.
Sainsbury’s
The 2012 Diamond Jubilee was an exciting time for many promoters and Sainsbury’s took the opportunity to create one which sponsored Diamond Jubilee beacon lighting across the UK and offered significant discounts to prepare them for their lighting ceremony celebrations.
Twinings
As suppliers of tea to the royal family since 1837, Twining’s launched a limited edition royal wedding tea blend to commemorate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Deliveroo
Deliveroo also ran a promotion for Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 where they offered a late night delivery service so that ‘royalists’ across the country didn’t have to settle for last night’s leftovers when they arrive home after celebrating. They also ran a social media promotion giving out £5000 worth of credit under the hashtag #harrytheheartbreaker.
Maynards
And finally, one of our favourite royal promotions that we worked on; Maynard’s ran an on-pack promotion to win a chance to ‘celebrate like royalty’ where the star prize was a banquet on a private jet and a night in a 5-star hotel in Monte Carlo for 6 people!