CLOSE-UP: LIVE ISSUE/PRUDENTIAL - Will Prudential's new TV spot remind people to save more?(pensions marketing campaign)(Brief Article)

Glen Mutel reports on the difficulties facing the new campaign from Prudential.

One of the most hazardous tasks TV advertising can attempt to perform is the modernisation of a long-established, nationally treasured brand.

The new Oxo family and the now-abandoned younger version of Captain Birdseye are shining examples of how wrong it can go.

So it is both a relief and a surprise to see Prudential's return to the small screen greeted with such warm applause by the critics.

But its return above the line comes at a tricky time for the company.

First, it has just announced plans to move more than 1,000 call centre and support jobs to India. Calling the sub continent for pensions advice seems a far cry from the helpful 'Man from the Pru' image it so carefully conjured in the 80s.

A PR disaster coinciding with the unveiling of a relaunch campaign is more than a little unfortunate - just remember the outcry when the launch of Barclays' 'big' campaign coincided with wide scale branch closures.