December19 Take Home Two at the Thinkbox Awards 2025
Last night at the Thinkbox TV Planning Awards 2025, our work with Xero claimed both the Best Ongoing Use of TV award and the Grand Prix.
We helped transform Xero from a distant third player into a legitimate contender in the UK accounting software market. Market share surged 85%. Unaided awareness rocketed 194%. One million subscribers achieved seven months early.
The Challenge: Making Accounting Software Sexy
Back in 2021, Xero faced a problem. Despite operating in the UK for over a decade, they remained stuck in third place behind QuickBooks and Sage. Their share of voice was minimal. Competitors were outspending them 6:1. Previous TV campaigns had delivered short-term spikes but no lasting brand impact.
The accounting software category had a reputation for being, well, boring. Research showed 75% of B2B ads scored 1-star or lower on entertainment value. Most brands presented themselves in dry, overly rational ways that failed to connect with the real people running small businesses.
Small business owners are potters, baristas, vets, and electricians. They're deeply emotionally invested in their ventures. Yet the industry treated them like faceless entities making purely logical decisions.
We saw things different.
The Strategy: People First, Business Second
While competitors framed accounting as an unavoidable chore, we positioned it as the lifeblood of a thriving business. An enabler of success rather than a necessary evil.
This insight led to Xero's "Healthy Business" positioning. Instead of viewing business owners through a professional lens, we recognised them as people first. People who consume media like anyone else. People who respond to humor, emotion, and entertainment.
The data supported this approach. LinkedIn B2B research revealed that only 5% of businesses are in-market for accounting software at any given time. Xero's biggest opportunity wasn't chasing immediate sales. It was making a lasting impression on the other 95% before they even realised they needed to switch.
The Results: When Different Works
The Healthy Business campaign delivered exceptional results across every metric:
Brand Impact:
Unaided awareness: 194% increase
Consideration: 90% growth
Brand equity: Significant improvement, closing the gap with competitors
Trust: Strong uplift in "Is a Trustworthy Brand"
Business Growth:
Market share: 85% increase
Subscriber milestone: Hit 7 months early
New customer growth: Consistent quarterly increases
ROI: Strong long-term returns
The success proved the campaign's impact despite modest media investment. While competitors either stayed stagnant or increased spending, we outpaced their growth.
The awards prove something we've always believed: effective media planning starts with understanding people, not demographics. When you speak to humans as humans, the numbers follow.
Different works. These awards are proof.
December19 is an independent media agency that believes in doing things different. We combine strategic media planning with creative thinking to deliver campaigns that make a real difference. Want to know more about our approach? Get in touch.
