• by Tanya Gazdik , April 3, 2017

Most consumers don’t know how powerful Echo’s range of power tools actually are. 

A new campaign from Cramer-Krasselt pits the performance of the products against some great forces in nature and machine, including hurricanes, muscle cars and combat choppers, instead of the typical comparisons to competitive brands.

“Echo is all about power, always has been,” says C-K Creative Director Nick Marrazza. “But now they wanted to own the ‘power’ in outdoor power equipment. So, we needed to demonstrate the power of the tools, but we didn’t want to get into a comparison war with other tool brands. Because that’s just boring. Instead, we showed how Echo tools out-power some of the most powerful elements on earth.”

Three TV spots drive home the power. In one, an Echo backpack blower is shown as more powerful than the winds of a category five hurricane. In a spot for the Echo chainsaw, it is compared to a muscle car. “A super-charged muscle car goes from zero to 60 in 3.1 seconds. The chain of an Echo chainsaw: zero to 60 in just 1.2 seconds.” Finally, an Echo trimmer is compared to the power of a helicopter. “The blades of a combat chopper spin at the rate of 380 RPM. Not even close to an Echo trimmer.”

While the brand previously targeted the weekend warrior, Echo is now looking to improve its market share among professional landscapers, says Wayne Thomsen, VP marketing at Echo.

While cordless battery powered equipment is growing, the professional landscaper still heavily relies on gas-powered equipment for its power and durability. Echo only makes gas-powered equipment.

“We want this audience to take us seriously,” Thomsen tells Marketing Daily. “So, we made a departure from airport TSA and trolls to change how the brand is viewed in the category. Previous campaigns targeted that weekend warrior landscape, fixing up their backyards. We still want to target homeowners but we want to elevate the brand for professionals to take notice.”

TV spots will appear on national cable MLB Network as well as within baseball games on select Fox Sports Networks (Home Team Sports) of MLB teams whose viewing areas are in key geographies for Echo sales.  “Behind the Plate” creative will be seen in major baseball markets. Media will appear predominately in April and May. Echo also will promote through Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.