B&Q shoots new ad in Sutton store
Published: 25 February 2010
DIY chain continues its 'real staff, real value' campaign with new set of ads featuring employees at the Surrey store.
B&Q in Sutton has played host to camera crews and extras as it takes centre stage in a new series of TV ads for the DIY retailer.
Continuing the retailer's tradition for using real staff in its advertising campaigns, several employees, although not all based at the Sutton store, will be filmed during the week-long shoot.
Natasha Suliman, a former Miss Wales contestant and B&Q employee loved being part of the retailer's ad campaign last year. Having appeared in a couple of TV adverts for B&Q, including one for its Cooke & Lewis range, Miss Suliman, who works at the Llanelli branch described her experience. "They wanted someone from each region and my manager put me forward," she explained. "My accent is really strong and they said that it was really great to have a Welsh girl in the advert."
"In the advert I'm underneath a chandelier and it was really hot because it was on the whole time," she laughed.
Miss Suliman received a lot of press coverage at the time, as her appearance in the advert coincided with her participation in the Miss Wales beauty contest. "I had just won the Miss Carmarthenshire heat and went on to the finals for the title of Miss Wales. All of this was happening at the same time, so it was crazy. I do get recognised and the other day they had me handing out leaflets at work and people were saying 'it's the girl from the advert'."
She concluded: "I'd definitely recommend being part of an advert to any B&Q staff. It was an amazing experience - both during and afterwards and you're treated so well. I would definitely do another advert if B&Q asked me to."
Miss Suliman has even set up a Facebook group to recognise employees who have appeared in the ads. She says of the group, titled 'B&Q advert stars!': "It's great because we've all become really close. When else could you make friends like that with people in London and from all over?"
Filming will continue next week in another London-based B&Q store.