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.

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The 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

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The 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'.

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The 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’

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.