Marks & Spencer’s two new womenswear autumn/winter TV ads have impressed the team here at Models Direct.

Directed by Ridley Scott’s daughter, Jordon Scott, the new ads are romance themed and feature two women as they get ready for two very different nights out.

Our favourite of the two follows British fashion model Clare Durkin as she is captured getting ready for a first date. We see the model try on a number of outfits before opting for a wrap dress in a hot bright colourway. She then answers the door to her date, who clearly thinks she looks stunning.

The other ad follows middle-aged actress Charlotte Weston, known for her roles in Silent Witness, Revelation and General Hospital, as she also tries on outfits before deciding on a chic floral dress and making her way to a restaurant to meet her husband. She looks so great that she attracts the attention of a younger man – only to breeze straight past him.

“These ads capture the build-up, excitement and emotion at a time when clothes matter more than ever. They tap into the universal truth that women don’t just wear clothes to cover up or follow a trend. They wear them to feel good, to feel more confident and glamorous. To bring this to life, we decided to use lesser known faces, so our customers will relate to the scenarios and feel empathy with the characters,” said Steve Sharp, M&S Executive Director.

We at Models Direct couldn’t agree more – using lesser known, or even completely unknown, models or actors is a great way for retailers to relate to their target market. We also love Marks & Spencer’s use of a middle-aged model, which ties into new research from Ben Barry showing that women over 40 respond more strongly to fashion imagery using relatable mature models their own age.