The Co-op is launching a major new multi-channel marketing campaign to back its community-ethos credentials tomorrow, spearheaded by This is England director Shane Meadows.

The new films will seek to show how each purchase at the Co-op benefits society, with 1% going directly to helping a local cause of the customer’s choice if they are a member.

The campaign launches across the Easter Bank Holiday weekend with spots during Homeland on Channel 4 and the last episode of Broadchurch on ITV.

Additional adverts will run across TV, cinema and social media until 7 May.

And on Channel 4 digital channel More 4 on 18 April, the Co-op will take over seven consecutive ad breaks in their entirety from 8pm, which it claims is the first time a brand has done so.

Each break will feature a Co-op cause film, 230 seconds in length and shot by Bafta awardwinning Meadows, who was brought in to help boost the Co-op’s membership drive in January.

“This campaign marks the start of a new approach for us that doesn’t feel like advertising at all. It shows the power of community in a visual language that doesn’t hide anything. The adverts strip back the gloss of advertising, making it unembellished and emotional, and find the beauty and truth in real people being honest to camera,” said director of Co-op brand Helen Carroll.

“Our Co-op heroes are the people across communities that keep these local causes going, day in and day out, and they needed to be the stars of the show.”

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