In its
first campaign since moving to McGarrybowen last spring, Staples is stepping away from its decade-old campaign with a new effort called “Make More Happen.”
“The main thing is
that people don’t know all the amazing stuff they can buy at Staples, from mannequins to cowboy hat-shaped hard hats,” says Marianne Besch, executive creative director at Mcgarrybowen, a
Dentsu agency. “Everyone knows they can find office supplies there, but the four TV spots all focus on the many unexpected items, whether it’s something to germ-proof your life, coffee, a
bullhorn or medical supplies.”
She tells Marketing Daily the new campaign, scheduled to break on Monday, also includes a disruptive digital and social media element called
“What the L,” where the “L” in Staples (usually a bent staple) is continually replaced with different L-shaped products.
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She says stepping away from the “That Was
Easy” involved assessing the equity it acquired over the years, and finding a way to build on it. The Easy Button, for example, is still prominent.
“It’s got a 96%
attribution rate, and it doesn't even say ‘Staples.’ It really is iconic, and this campaign is a way to advance the Easy button, to show how Staples has expanded outside its core product
offerings.”
Staples, based in Framingham, Mass., claims to be the world’s second-largest Internet retailer, and says it is adding thousands of new products every day. In the midst
of what it describes as “a strategic reinvention,” including a major refresh of its website, the retailer reported a 5% decline in North American sales in its most recent quarterly
results, and a 3% dip in same-store sales.
The first 30-second spot, called “Big Idea,” is set in a
modern factory, with workers using products bought at Staples, to manufacture the biggest idea ever seen. But it turns out the assembly line produces nothing, making the point that Staples has
everything a business needs for a big idea, except for the big idea.
The TV spots are scheduled to run on cable and primetime network programming, such as “Big Bang
Theory,” “Scandal” and “Modern Family.”
“The ads are meant to appeal to a culture of people who are doers,” adds Besch,
“and we want to let them know that Staples has absolutely everything they need to get things done.”