Scotts Canada is showing male consumers how they can get to the root of their lawn care problems through a TV campaign from Zig that spoofs hair loss infomercials.
Two 30-second ads feature men discussing how they’ve filled in their bald patches by using a product from the company’s line of Turf Builder fertilizers.
One spot, entitled “Water Smart,” starts with Tony D., a “satisfied user of Scotts Thick Lawns for Men,” standing in his backyard, sprinkler in hand. He explains that he once suffered from thinning grass, as his son plays soccer and his wife lovingly runs her fingers through the lush grass.
“At first I was in denial,” he says. “My dad had thin grass, and his dad, it just runs in my family.”
“I tried watering more, but that didn’t help. Then I tried Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer,” he continues before extolling the benefits of Scotts’ all-in-one fertilizer.
“I got a thick lawn that helps crowd out weeds using less water.”
The commercial ends with the super: “Less water, more lawn, more life.”
“Using this tongue-in-cheek format made sense not only because men can relate to the subject matter, but also because it allowed us to drive home a lot of key points about the products,” said Zig executive creative director Martin Beauvais, in a release.
A second spot, “Multiple Feedings,” starts with James P., the supposed founder of Scotts Thick Lawns for Men, standing in a lab with two lawn samples placed on a table in front of him. He asks the male viewers if they suffer from thinning grass, if their lawn line is receding, or if they have bald patches on their lawn.
He suggests using Scotts Turf Builder Fertilizers. “Your home will look 10 years younger and no-one will know you had anything done. Trust me, I know,” he says.
“Just like a thick and healthy head of hair, a thick and healthy lawn instills a sense of pride and confidence in men,” said Glenn Martin, senior marketing manager of Scotts Canada, in a release.
The first two spots are currently running on Ontario conventional and on national specialty channels including HGTV, with a third spot for Scotts’ Winter Care product to launch later in the year.
MEC Global handled the media buy.
Scotts is also running contests which give consumers the chance to spend time with NHL coaching legend Scotty Bowman. One contest, presented with Canadian Tire includes a grand prize of a “Championship Backyard BBQ” with Bowman and former playing greats Bryan Trottier, Larry Murphy, and Steve Shutt. The prize includes a La-Z-Boy patio set along with a new BBQ. Secondary prizes are Scotts “Championship lawn kits.”
The winner of the “Hockey Turf Tour,” presented with Home Hardware, will visit Detroit, Pittsburgh and Montreal to watch a hockey game with Bowman.
—Kristin Laird with files from David Brown
