COVID-19 came, and nothing about the world was the same. So, we knew business (or advertising)
as usual wasn’t going to fly.
We’d evaluated media placements, made the necessary shifts and recommended over-arching messaging adjustments for Lennox. In that same meeting, we tested their appetite for a new TV spot. They had an appetite. Like many brands, we found ourselves with little time and a tall order: get a message out there that didn’t camouflage itself into the void of “uncertain times.”
Step one? Avoid the phrase “uncertain times” at all costs.
Step two? Don’t talk about HVAC or perfect air. At all.
Step three? Find that simple truth that gets us all to step back and take stock of the best thing
to come out of this pandemic.
And that fact revealed itself to be that we’re spending more time at home surrounded by the people we’d all rather be with most of the time anyway. We’re seeing training wheels come off in droves. Family dinners have become family breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. Put-off projects have been put into motion. We’re wasting away the hours together—but not a second of it is a waste. And we’ll miss these things when they’re gone.
That was the jumping off point for a new spot. Utilize Lennox’ role in the home to do the unexpected. Do away with the notion of uncertainty and celebrate the inarguable certainty that these times are special. Full stop.
Soon after, HVAC was deemed an essential business, so we set about updating our social and website messaging to ensure homeowners knew we were there for them should the need arise. We followed that up with some devoid-of-a-sales-pitch content that educated homeowners on some simple steps they could take to optimize the air in their home. Lastly, we laid out all the precautions dealers were advised to take to ensure safety for homeowners and technicians.
It all happened at a breakneck pace. But that’s the sort of thing we’ve come to expect when working in u̶n̶c̶e̶r̶t̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ advertising.
