Dive Brief:
- Lowe’s has introduced a humorous new campaign, “Make Your Home Happy,” that lets ordinarily inanimate lawn ornaments and a refrigerator magnet do the talking.
- Featuring a pink flamingo, giraffe, and a unicorn, the first 15-second spots emphasize Lowe’s guarantees on plants, appliances, and lawn program in an effort to attract new millennial homeowners.
- Lowe’s is also expected to introduce new practical videos on social media, where its “Fix in Six” Vines and “Hypermade” Instragram videos are popular, according to Ad Week.
Dive Insight:
Tagged “Make Your Home Happy,” the BBDO New York campaign uses the comic treatments to emphasize “proof points,” or specific reasons to shop Lowe’s. The chain has previously concentrated on practical project how-tos in much of its media messaging, and is now moving to a more emotive strategy under new CMO Marci Grebstein.
Brand affinity is more important than ever in the competitive home improvement space, and targeting millennials with gentle humor should help Lowe’s prepare to be diverse do-it-yourselfers’ first choice. Many retailers are ramping up their advertising efforts to reach millennials as they reach important buying times in their lives—weddings, parenthood, and home-ownership. Capturing their loyalty during these times is key, as many of these life phases require increased spending, whether it's on a new yard or new diapers.
And if the ads suddenly inspire viewers to install their own lawn ornaments, unicorns and flamingos are available immediately via a YouTube click-through.
