National Trust reignites growth with ‘It’s a Membership Thing’

The National Trust has launched a bold new membership campaign titled 'It's a Membership Thing', designed to drive awareness and consideration of their membership product.

‍

Challenge

After more than a decade of growth, National Trust membership had begun to plateau. Research revealed a disconnect between brand awareness activity aimed at younger audiences and conversion-led marketing targeting traditional member profiles. As a result, the Trust needed a campaign that could balance both objectives: rekindling appeal among their core audience (over 45s), while inviting new prospects to join.

National Trust’s brief called for creative that would:

·      Increase awareness and consideration of membership

·      Showcase the Trust’s diversity of experiences (nature, beauty, and history)

·      Appeal to both loyal supporters and new visitors discovering the benefits of membership for the first time

·      Clearly communicate that membership isn’t just about access – it’s about passion, contribution, and emotional connection‍

‍

Insight

Everyone has their 'thing'; a personal spark that drives how they experience the world. Whether that’s a fascination with ornate architecture, a love of a good cream tea, or the simple joy of a coastal walk, those individual 'things' unite a nation of members under one shared banner: the National Trust.

This insight inspired the creative platform: 'It’s a Membership Thing'.

‍

Creative

Happy Hour brought this idea to life with a charming and humorous narrative film showing how differently people experience the Trust through their own quirks and passions.

The 30-second TV and cinema spot begins with a flurry of membership cards being flipped and scanned as we meet a series of relatable characters:

·      A woman inspecting an ornate doorknob at a National Trust heritage property – ‘It’s a knobs-and-knockers thing’

·      A couple sat in a National Trust café enjoying a pot of tea – ‘It’s an-always-starts…’ ‘and-ends!’ ‘…here thing’

·      A young woman wearing historical costume outside a stately National Trust home – ‘It’s a main-character-energy thing’

·      A family hiking rocky terrain on a National Trust site – ‘it’s a blisters-or-it-didn’t-happen thing’

·       A man enjoying lunch in his car, whilst parked in a National Trust car park – ‘I'm in-it-for-the-parking thing’

‍

The ad closes with sweeping shots of National Trust landscapes and the tagline: 'Whatever your thing, find it with a National Trust membership.'

This light-hearted but meaningful approach reframes membership as a deeply personal connection – every member’s experience is equally valid, equally joyful, and uniquely theirs.

‍

Campaign Execution

The integrated campaign launched in cinemas in February 2026, followed by a TV rollout from March. It was supported by cut-downs and platform-optimised edits for social media channels, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

The social-first creative extended the humour and relatability of the main film through playful captions and bite-sized edits designed to spark self-recognition and sharing.

‍

Target Audiences & Strategy

The campaign was designed to connect most strongly with the Trust’s warmest audience of older, affluent homeowners; and to grow resonance among younger urban families and professionals discovering membership for the first time.

Its strength lies in its universality: whether viewers saw themselves in the hiker, the historian, or the tea-drinker, the message stayed the same – being a member is about finding joy in your own way.

‍

Results (Early Indicators)

While full performance data is still to come, early engagement on social media has been highly positive, driving conversation and self-identification among audiences. In pre-testing, recognition of the National Trust membership product improved significantly against previous campaigns, suggesting strong progress in addressing the brand’s strategic challenge.