Super Hero tackles legislation changes

12 October 2005

A new Super Hero is leading the march in a through the line marketing campaign designed to educate the UK heating industry on changes to legislation that are seen as the biggest to affect the sector in more than 20 years.

Captain Condensing, created by Birmingham marketing group HRO'C for its client Halstead Boilers, encompasses the principles of all global comic strip icons like Superman as he sets about saving and helping central heating installers as they get to grips with the new Part L Building Regulations that came into effect on the 1st April 2005. After this date, all new and replacement boiler installations will have to be of a high efficiency or condensing boiler in order to comply.

The Captain Condensing campaign includes a strategic and tactical press relations programme to target the heating and plumbing trade press, full page display advertisements, a suite of literature, point of sale, trade newsletters, information bulletins, a website and a series of monthly tactical comic strips in the heating and plumbing trade press, featuring our hero Captain Condensing saving the day for installers and householders.

"Halstead recognised that the changes in legislation have created an enormous educational issue for installers operating within the UK domestic heating sector," says HRO'C Client Services Director, Nicki Gibberson.

"Our recommendation was for a high impact visual device that was distinctive, instantly recognisable and appealing to installers, our target audience, in addition to standing out from the competition. Halstead identified with the Captain Condensing super hero as a means of creating a friendly face of condensing issues, that would work with the company's overall strategy to maintain its reputation for providing sound industry and product advice to installers, alongside its range of UK manufactured domestic central heating boilers."

Halstead's Marketing Director, Chris Richardson, adds: "With a good proportion of our heating installer customer base being from the 'baby boomer generation', the superhero theme was an ideal medium - but it was the brilliant visuals than clinched it; our superhero looks every bit as though he's just emerged from the pages of a 1960's DC or Marvel comic book!"

The changes to the Building Regulations are set to play a part in reducing the level of carbon monoxide emissions in the UK - domestic heating is responsible for almost one third of all domestic CO2 emissions - and contribute to combating global warming.