Itโs on! Sears started a campaign Sunday starring John Lacy that literally calls out Home Depot and Loweโs in an effort to take them on directly in the battle for lawn care product sales supremacy. Itโs like a schoolyard fight: meet me in the parking lot at 2 PM! The actual words are more like โSears Turf Wars, fighting the Home Depot and Loweโs for the right to be on your lawnโ but you get the ideaโฆ or maybe you donโt.
Transcript of the John Lacy Script in the Initial Video
This autoplays when you go to sears.com/turfwars:
A manโs lawn is his most outward expression of pride. Well cut, and itโs a right hookโฆ. to the ego of the guy across the street.
But, in order to fight the good fight, you have to have the best artillery. Thatโs 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 weโll fight Home Depot and Loweโs to make sure you get the most tractor, the most innovation, and the lowest prices โ all backed by the nationโs largest service organization. And if we have to bruise a few egos along the way to prove a pointโฆ so be it.
Cause your lawn is worth fighting for โฆ itโs a turf war.
Calling Out Home Depot and Loweโs
Woah. They are calling out the Loweโs 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 โturf warโ and this one should shape up to be pretty fun โ especially if either Home Depot or Loweโs takes the bait and responds. If not, then itโs likely it will all blow over, barring any national TV exposure or ad campaigns on Hulu. This isnโt 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 itโs interesting to see companies really put it all on the line.
Shop for Your Homeโฆand Eveningwear
Some of the digs are actually pretty funny. For example, they head off the expected response of โHow can you be serious about lawn tractors when you sell womenโs underwear and casserole dishes?โ by saying โWe also sell 3D televisions, the latest tablets, and even sundresses. Who doesnโt like sundresses?โ Then John Lacy pushes his mower forward to an attractive woman in a sundress. โWhat are you going to do at Home Depot and Loweโsโฆ go check out the 2x4s?โ
The Risk of Negative Advertising Blowback
The risk of this type of advertising is two-fold. First, thereโs the risk of taking it into negative territory โ similar to how politics can drift too far while trying to make a point about an opponent. When people donโt necessarily see brand A or brand B as being โbadโ per se, itโs 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 Loweโs 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 wasnโt 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 spiralingโฆ Of course, when youโre on the sidelines, all of this can be quite entertaining.
When youโre 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 Loweโs. 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 whatโs next? We, for one, would like to see souped-up rocket tractors racing down a 4 lane highway at breakneck speedsโฆ? I mean, if they need any suggestions, that is.
