Parent of Retail Supplier Launches "Let's Get Living" Campaign For Connected Home Devices, Launches New Bundle

Hive, Centrica's Connected Home brand, unveiled a new identity, positioning and "Let’s Get Living" campaign.

"The moves take effect simultaneously in multiple markets including North America, a priority territory for the brand," Centrica said

The new positioning and campaign, "are the cornerstone of a £500 million investment by global energy and services company, Centrica, to take the Hive experience to multiple markets, with the aim of making the connected home simple, affordable and accessible for everyone," Centrica said

Rolling out initially across the US, Canada, UK and Ireland, the integrated campaign will span TV, radio, digital out-of-home, print and social channels. Breaking with a narrated 30-second TV spot, entitled 'Perspectives on Life', Hive said that, "Let's Get Living celebrates the things that matter – what we love to do, rather than what we have to do. The campaign brings out how the Hive smart home experience frees customers to prioritize what means the most to them."

The campaign follows the launch of Hive Welcome Home, which Centrica called, "the first package of subscription-based smart home service offerings built around helping people to leave hassle-free in the morning, and return from work to a home just as they like it."

In North America and the UK, Hive services are available through both Hive and partner channels, including Centrica sister brands Direct Energy and British Gas respectively.

Centrica said that, "Centrica Connected Home has refreshed the Hive brand visual identity and tone of voice, so they enable both emotional and functional storytelling."

"Our aim was to bring the human touch to the Hive brand," said Nicky Mackrell, Global Brand and Marketing Director, Centrica Connected Home. "We want everyone to be able to connect with the Hive experience, not just people interested in technology."

"Our brand is designed to be bright, friendly and approachable. We’ve focused on vibrant colors and dynamic stories of people in real use case scenarios to shake up what’s traditionally been seen as a device-led category," Mackrell said

Hive also announced results of a survey of North Americans' attitudes towards the smart home, revealing several barriers.

According to the survey, key barriers to smart home adoption include:

• Price: Just over nine in ten Americans (91 percent) who have heard of smart homes say, when it comes to household expenses, installing a smart home is not a priority. Moreover, just over three-quarters of all Americans (76 percent) believe they would have to scale back on something to afford making their home a smart home.

• Ease of use: The overwhelming majority of Americans believe installing a smart home seems like it would require professional help (79 percent).

• Compatibility: More than four in five Americans (85 percent) agree if they were to install a smart home, they would prefer to do so using products from one brand rather than piecing together products from multiple brands.

Commenting on how the Hive experience addresses this research, Roy Vella, North America VP/General Manager of Centrica Connected Home, said: "We are designing services to eliminate upfront device fees and provide an easy, self-install approach, opening up the joy of a smart home to a whole new audience. Our Hive Welcome Home plan, launched in May, is just the first of our subscription plans aimed at making the smart home simple and affordable for all."

The newly launched Hive Welcome Home plans include the following options (pricing reflects a two-year term contract):

Starter: $9.99/month
• Hive Hub 
• 1x Hive Active Plug 
• 2x Hive Active Light 
• 2x Window or Door Sensor


Standard: $24.99/month
• Hive Hub 
• 2x Hive Active Plug 
• 4x Hive Active Light 
• 2x Window or Door Sensor 
• 1x Motion Sensor 
• 1x Hive Active Thermostat


Premium: $39.99/month
• Hive Hub 
• 3x Hive Active Plug 
• 8x Hive Active Light 
• 4x Window or Door Sensor 
• 2x Motion Sensor 
• 2x Hive Active Thermostat