Refurb Editions: Better Than New

Read the campaign story

Philips’s July 2023 announcement presented Refurb Editions through the Better Than New campaign. LePub Amsterdam and TOILETPAPER revisited the visual language of older advertising for contemporary products. The same brand article explains inspection, replacement of relevant components, testing and a two-year warranty. The proposition therefore combined a desirability argument with operational information intended to reduce uncertainty about buying a refurbished item.

The announcement also describes refurbishment activity from 2022. Those figures precede the campaign and should not be presented as its results. This study makes no claim about incremental sales, avoided manufacturing or net emissions caused by the advertising. It treats the original campaign and subsequent editions as one family, while distinguishing the advertised assurance from a universal claim that every refurbished product is superior to its new equivalent.

Editorial interpretation: sustainability communication often asks a customer to accept a compromise for a broader benefit. A design-led refurbished offer can instead compete on appeal, usefulness and confidence. The visual treatment matters because it places the product within an aspirational world rather than a bargain bin. However, desirability cannot replace practical reassurance. Buyers may still need to know what has been inspected, which parts are renewed and what happens if something fails.

Editorial interpretation: the phrase better than new creates productive tension only when the team can explain what better means. It might refer to price, reuse or a particular guarantee, but those dimensions are not interchangeable. A brand should make the basis explicit rather than allowing the audience to assume an unsupported performance advantage. The strongest transfer is a balanced offer: distinctive presentation draws attention, and transparent standards make consideration reasonable.

Research the actual source of hesitation

Ask prospective buyers what refurbished means to them before developing the campaign. Hygiene, cosmetic condition, missing accessories, reliability and warranty may create different objections. Address each with evidence that operations can consistently provide. Do not assume a general environmental message resolves a specific concern about product safety or expected lifespan. Segment the communication by the question people need answered, not simply by whether they say they care about sustainability.

Make the standard inspectable

Describe the checks, replacement policy, grading and support in language a buyer can understand. Show a representative example rather than an unusually perfect specimen. Keep product-specific limits visible, including differences between categories and markets. If a warranty matches the new product, say exactly what matches and where the terms can be reviewed. Confidence grows when people can inspect the promise; vague claims of rigorous quality leave them guessing about the process.

Evaluate substitution rather than counting reuse twice

A refurbished sale may replace a new purchase, another secondhand purchase or no purchase at all. These alternatives affect environmental interpretation. Track the operational flow and customer choice without assuming every sale avoids manufacturing a new unit. Keep campaign conversion measures separate from lifecycle analysis. A successful retail proposition can be reported honestly even when its full environmental effect remains uncertain or depends on assumptions that need specialist assessment.

A small test for another brief

For a safe durable-product category, compare a clearly graded refurbished offer with the existing presentation using the same genuine warranty and support information.

Measure qualified consideration, returns, support questions and customer understanding. Report environmental implications only with an appropriate defined methodology.

Stop if the creative implies an unsupported performance advantage or the refurbishment process cannot deliver the advertised assurance.

• Document inspection and grading before writing the promotional promise.
• Test an appealing design-led presentation against a functional information-led version.
• Ask buyers and non-buyers which uncertainty remains and what alternative they would have chosen.