Is M&S getting all sophisticated again with its marketing - I hope not

I just read this headline in Marketing Week (M&S invests 20% of media spend in social media as it ups focus on storytelling)

My heart sank.

Do your remember, bet you don't, that dreadful advertising campaign M&S ran where it photographed a group of ladies, a couple of whom were recognisable but all were 'celebrities' for one reason or another.  Their clothing was very ordinary, drab seems to be the most commonly used term, but the photographer was a fancy named lady from New York.

The article in Marketing Week  must make its competitors issue a collective sigh of relief. There is lots of talk about becoming better at communicating its sustainability and increasing 'transparency' and all other 'good' things.

Look, I am sure this is all worthy stuff but is it going to sell clothes and food. As much as M&S would prefer otherwise it's dominant customer base are older. What the hell are they going to make of transparent sustainability wrapped up in storytelling?

Hopefully, the foundation for M&S's marketing is solid and well researched but it always gives the impression that it trying harder to impress fellow marketers than please customers. Dick Stroud