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In the dog-eat-dog, back-to-school season, Staples Business Depot’s new campaign seeks to compete directly with department and discount retailers for the mighty “Mom Dollar.”
The campaign’s first 30-second television ad, called “Hounds,” which launched Aug. 4, unleashes a pack of dogs into a department store. The dogs tear the place apart in search of backpacks, pencils and other school supplies.
“When it comes to back-to-school supplies,” says the voiceover, “Staples has slashed the prices on hundreds of items. And wouldn’t you rather find them than look for them?” After showing a star burst graphic promoting the store’s new “low price guarantee,” the spot closes with “That was easy,” the company’s overall brand positioning.
The ad will run for five weeks, with 30- and 15-second versions showcasing different products every week.
Created by MacLaren McCann, Staples’ Canadian agency-of-record, the campaign is backed by a new website Easy.Staples.ca, developed by the agency’s relationship and digital marketing division, MRM. Intended for parents and teachers, the site offers product information and links to the company’s main website, but no “click to buy” links.
Both MacLaren and Staples conducted focus groups with the target demographic—mothers with children 7-12—and were told most seek a stress-free, all-in-one shopping experience.
“We found most of them didn’t think of us for back-to-school, which was surprising to us,” said Sandy Salmon, director of advertising for Staples Business Depot.
For the 300-location chain, known mostly for office supplies, the back-to-school season is more important than the winter holiday shopping season. During this time, Staples Business Depot faces stiff competition from a number of competitors, added Rob Morand, senior vice-president and general manager of MacLaren McCann.
“We took more of a competitive stance this year,” Morand said. “Nowadays, everybody’s selling everything, and everybody’s got great prices on back-to-school items. Differentiating at this time of year was the key challenge. The [low price guarantee] shows confidence on the pricing side [and] that we can compete with anybody in the marketplace.”
Morand said the hounds may make another appearance in a Staples campaign, but the company is waiting on results from this campaign before moving forward.
