• by Karl Greenberg , May 9, 2008

Lawn-care company Scotts Miracle-Gro is launching its first-ever integrated campaign. The effort shifts the message from product attributes to the joys of gardening.

The effort, via New York-based ML Rogers, also introduces a brand tag, "It's Gro Time"--the first in the company's 60-year history. A television spot that shows people having fun gardening uses the '70s R&B hit "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate, which contains the line "I believe in miracles."

The effort--which comprises three 30-second spots, six full-page print ads, point of sale and two radio ads--also introduces a new product called Watering Can Singles, which are pre-mixed, water-soluble plant food packets.

While the ads show men, women and couples gardening, a voiceover says things like "It's time to discover the power of flowers." "It's time for your dirt manicure." "It's time to find your tomato mojo." "It's time to grow something and discover all the good things that happen when you do." Print ads have headlines like "Teach your kids where salad comes from."

Jan Valentic, SVP/North American marketing for the Marysville, Ohio-based company, says that since Miracle-Gro dominates the category, the campaign, the new tag and more emotional approach are not about market share. "It's about attracting new consumers," she says. "What we have done in the past is much more functional communications; the focus of ads has been on what our products do. They spoke to people who are already gardeners."

She says the new effort, by contrast, is Miracle-Gro's version of "Just Do It," Nike's brand effort that is less about the shoes than getting out and exercising.

"We felt there was a bigger appeal for what gardening does for gardeners. It's the physical, mental, spiritual and environmental aspect. And if we get more consumers to engage in gardening, we get the lion's share of those people."

Valentic says that gardening is enjoying new popularity among younger people because of a local-food trend, the broad acceptance of organic, fresh fruits and vegetables, and the shift in focus to the kitchen in U.S. households over the past few years.

"I think it may be a whole bunch of things--from Whole Foods educating people on localization, the higher prices of food, and consumers wanting more security about where products are coming from," she says. "We are seeing a resurgence of consumers doing container gardening, doing edible landscapes, things like 'pizza gardens', a big resurgence in backyard gardens for a whole host of reasons."

The new TV spots will run on national network, syndication, and cable, with print set to run in lifestyle books like Martha Stewart Living, Dwell, Redbook, Ladies' Home Journal, and Everyday with Rachael Ray, Woman¹s Day, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, Sunset, and Southern Living.