It’s on! Sears started a campaign Sunday starring John Lacy that literally calls out Home Depot and Lowe’s in an effort to take them on directly in the battle for lawn care product sales supremacy. It’s like a schoolyard fight: meet me in the parking lot at 2 PM! The actual words are more like “Sears Turf Wars, fighting the Home Depot and Lowe’s for the right to be on your lawn” but you get the idea… or maybe you don’t.
Transcript of the John Lacy Script in the Initial Video
This autoplays when you go to sears.com/turfwars:
A man’s lawn is his most outward expression of pride. Well cut, and it’s a right hook…. to the ego of the guy across the street.
But, in order to fight the good fight, you have to have the best artillery. That’s why were starting turf war, a battle that once and for all the right to be the mower or tractor that cuts your sacred acre.
At Sears we’ll fight Home Depot and Lowe’s to make sure you get the most tractor, the most innovation, and the lowest prices – all backed by the nation’s largest service organization. And if we have to bruise a few egos along the way to prove a point… so be it.
Cause your lawn is worth fighting for … it’s a turf war.
Calling Out Home Depot and Lowe’s
Woah. They are calling out the Lowe’s and the Depot literally, with imagery of the competition appearing in the video and the main character shouting out his challenges across the street to the stores. The new ad series is the brainchild of Y&R in Chicago and the campaign includes video clips, Facebook and Twitter alerts, and even a smartphone app that compares products sold by each store.
We love a good “turf war” and this one should shape up to be pretty fun – especially if either Home Depot or Lowe’s takes the bait and responds. If not, then it’s likely it will all blow over, barring any national TV exposure or ad campaigns on Hulu. This isn’t the first time a company has used its competition directly in ad campaigns. In recent times, the Pepsi vs. Coke campaign may be the clearest example (or Pepsi Max and Coke Zero to be precise), and it’s interesting to see companies really put it all on the line.
Shop for Your Home…and Eveningwear
Some of the digs are actually pretty funny. For example, they head off the expected response of “How can you be serious about lawn tractors when you sell women’s underwear and casserole dishes?” by saying “We also sell 3D televisions, the latest tablets, and even sundresses. Who doesn’t like sundresses?” Then John Lacy pushes his mower forward to an attractive woman in a sundress. “What are you going to do at Home Depot and Lowe’s… go check out the 2x4s?”
The Risk of Negative Advertising Blowback
The risk of this type of advertising is two-fold. First, there’s the risk of taking it into negative territory – similar to how politics can drift too far while trying to make a point about an opponent. When people don’t necessarily see brand A or brand B as being “bad” per se, it’s harder to pit one against the other. In this case, Sears is at least starting off well, with it being more of a friendly challenge than a statement that Home Depot or Lowe’s are somehow deficient. The second risk is that, because you are touting the competition, you might actually encourage sales for them in the process.
Or, you may encourage them to run a campaign or ad that wasn’t in the works. And they might have a better ad company that can turn it around and derail your entire effort. You see the potential for danger and spiraling… Of course, when you’re on the sidelines, all of this can be quite entertaining.
When you’re in Last Place You Have Nothing to Lose
Currently, Sears ranks fifth in lawn care and home repair, behind Ace, True Value, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. This is according to the Brand Keys rankings.
To let you know how serious this business is, Sears spent around $459 million, according to Kantar Media. Of that, over $12 million was assigned to lawn and garden.
So what’s next? We, for one, would like to see souped-up rocket tractors racing down a 4 lane highway at breakneck speeds…? I mean, if they need any suggestions, that is.
