Nature’s Master Builders Renew a Commodity Category

Challenge

Pressure-treated pine is a traditionally low-interest product in a sleepy category. Easily forgettable, predictable, and uninspiring brands had become the norm for the category. And this approach found the YellaWood brand at risk of losing their category leadership. It was time for a pivot. The brand needed something iconic that could maintain long-term interest and be immediately ownable. We needed a campaign the distribution channel wouldn’t just tolerate but covet. No brand in the category had that, so we decided to create it. 

Insights

People covet things more when there is an emotional connection. It’s difficult to connect with lumber but humans apply the same level of emotion to animals that we do friends and family. Also, in a cluttered world, customers look for a shortcut to understanding why a brand is loved. 

Strategy

We combine breakthrough creative with a data-driven distruptive communication. We are able to then reach both the trade and consumer with our ragtag team of lumber-thieving beavers who work tirelessly to get their paws on the best of the best.  

The omni-channel campaign includes social media, in-store point of sale, website integration, a leading-edge predictive analytics tool, sports sponsorships, email, and high-impact traditional print and out of home. 

Results

• Lumberyards embrace the campaign like nothing the client had ever seen with a previously unseen POS compliance of more than 75% 
• The campaign metrics show the beavers driving a lift in awareness among homeowners and deck contractors’ intent to purchase the YellaWood brand by nearly 10 points 
• Confirmed placements in 35% of target publications and earned 10 stories 
• 80% of coverage included campaign multimedia assets to bring the story to life 
• Built upon strong media relationships resulting in multiple placements in three outlets