Frank Anderson writes:
Hey Dan!
I just saw this national commercial today and wanted to get your take on it.
I laughed. It’s funny. But I wonder if showing people botching home improvement projects is the best way to advertise a business that sells.. well.. the stuff for home improvement projects?
Whether in a radio commercial or a television ad, that’s exactly the wrong advertising message to be giving.
The guy in the story obviously bought the “home improvement” materials somewhere, and the result is a disaster.
At the end of the spot they say, “Need Help?” And then they flash the Lowe’s logo.
In the description beneath the YouTube video they say, “Installation can be tricky. Come to Lowe’s. We’ve got all the tips and tools you need to get the job done right.”
So it turns out they’re trying to get people to come to Lowe’s for “tips.”
But they haven’t done anything to move consumers from equating Lowe’s with “do-it-yourself tools” to equating Lowe’s with “informed advice about how to do your own home repairs.”
Instead, they’ve equated “doing your own home repairs” with “disaster.”
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
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OMG…………I must have a sick sense of Humour but……..I Loved it. No dialogue necessary, like the silent movies and the Oscar Award film, ‘The Artist,’ No Dialogue necessary because an Image does say 1,000 words.
They could have continued the “Need Help?” title sequence with “We’ve got all the tips and tools you need to get the job done right.” In order to do so in the spot, they could delete the shot of the ceiling fan going through the window into the front lawn (it’s kind of a double punch line that didn’t work for me). That would give them enough time to get the “tips” hook in and transition to Lowe’s logo.
A) you have to make a memorable commercial. Dan O’Day is talking about it.. so are you and so am I. So Check
B) target your audience. DIY people.. Check
C) So why are you targeting the once that have no knowledge on DIY projects? Simple you want to set your brand name away from the rest of the companies. Isn’t that one of the thinks all advertising agencies look for.. what sets you apart from the other businesses in the market?
So why the double fail shot? who knows. I would say a silent ad stands out more on TV than a ad that has: background music, VO guy, and everything else. I’m guessing they wanted to make sure they had your attention with two sound effects.