Law firm network QualitySolicitors has announced the recruitment of two senior executives as it prepares a multi-million-pound ‘John Lewis-style’ television advertising campaign.

Lee Ellis, formerly head of commercial finance at retailer Halfords, has been appointed as finance director. Claire Smith (pictured), a former partner at national firm Pannone, where she ran the nationwide referral and support network Connect2Law, will join QS as partner firm director in March.

QS has appointed media agencies Mediacom and Team Saatchi to launch what it claims is the UK’s ‘largest ever legal services marketing campaign’.

The £15m campaign, funded by private equity house Palamon Capital Partners, which bought a majority stake in QS last October, will hit television screens in March.

QS chief executive Craig Holt said the campaign will put the group among the ‘most visible brands on TV’ with more than 90% of ABC1 consumers expected to see it. He told the Gazette that the minute-long prime-time advert drops the animated characters used in the previous campaign, in favour of a ‘John Lewis-style’ more ‘epic’ advert showing legal scenarios ‘in a non-cliched way’.

He said: ‘This advertising campaign will ensure we create widespread awareness of the QS brand among individuals and businesses, and communicate to them the reasons why they should use their local QS firm for their legal issues.’

Team Saatchi’s managing director Sophie Hooper told the Gazette: ‘We have analysed and researched what consumers really want from legal services and believe the sophisticated, yet client-focused, approach of the new campaign will make a huge impact.’

She said her brief was to create a ‘John Lewis style of advert in terms of professionalism combined with emotional engagement’.