Ace bolsters image with media blitz

Ace Hardware is working to re-establish itself as the quick and easy destination for taking care of the home. And it's doing it with messages revolving around people tackling home projects quickly.

On April 7, Ace will launch a new marketing campaign with the theme, “I Will,” which highlights each of Ace’s 4,500 locally owned stores as the go-to place for consumers who need quick service and expert home maintenance advice so they can get on to what matters most in their lives, the company said.

Ace’s approach comes from studies that reveal most people don’t want their time consumed with major home improvements and big renovations. At Ace, the idea is to help take care of home maintenance to-do lists so people can get on with their lives, and that's at the heart of the advertising.

“The goal of this campaign is to teach consumers when and why to shop Ace,” said John Surane, Ace’s VP merchandising, consumer marketing and paint. “With the help of Idea City, we’ve put together a multichannel, integrated marketing campaign that focuses on owning on the fix and repair usage occasion and being top of mind when people have a home maintenance need.”

With creative development from advertising agency GSD&M Idea City, the campaign elements include online, social media, TV and radio, and are supported by in-store, direct mail and other print creative pieces.

The TV work includes six spots, all of which open with characters declaring their dismay for large-scale home improvement renovations and commitment to fixing up the home fast with help from Ace. In the spot called “Paint,” the characters use a tongue-in-cheek tone to acknowledge they don’t want to spend their entire weekend on household projects and that Ace helps them turn their maintenance “to-do list into a to-done list.” The spot ends with a voiceover saying, “The folks at Ace help you find what you need, so you can get in, get help, and get on with your life. At Ace -- the helpful place.”

Branded social media elements will complement the TV work and carry the “I Will” theme. The Facebook component will focus on the spring season and will differentiate Ace from the big-box competition by providing home maintenance how-to tips. The page also will feature an “I Will” status updater that allows users to provide their own personal “I Will….get on with life” moment. Ace’s YouTube page will showcase seasonal how-to videos hosted by resident expert and Ace store owner, Lou Manfredini. Twitter will be used as another way to deliver quick and easy home maintenance tips to Ace Hardware followers. As an example: If you crack open your window and see a hole or tear in the screen, we can help you fix it. Find your local Ace http://bit.ly/AWat5.

Up to 18 online banner executions and 12 radio spots as well as Ace Rewards communications, Acehardware.com, circulars and in-store promotions will reflect the “I Will” campaign theme. Ace Hardware retailers will also be able to utilize marketing elements at the local level.

“Ace Hardware has a solid focus on making their customers’ lives easier,” said Duff Stewart, president and CEO of GSD&M Idea City. “The campaign reminds people that owning a home doesn’t have to come at the expense of having a life.”