The HORNBACH WERKSTÜCK Edition – a series of design pieces that can't just be bought, only built – succeeded in handing the craft of design back into the hands of the DIYer and, consequently, treating artist and HORNBACH customer as equals. The campaign created organic brand interaction - and even dialogue between customers as they swapped info and result photos of their finished Lounge Chairs. Launched digitally, the WERKSTÜCK Edition's WORKPIECE 001 found its dedicated fan base after only a few days, driving traffic to HORNBACH stores on- and offline, and reached previously unattainable design target audiences all over Europe.
Background
The German DIY-market is extremely competitive – especially when it comes to winning the affection of customers. Therefore, DIY and gardening superstore HORNBACH is always searching for new ways to anticipate social developments and transform them into stories. In a world where people are willing to stand in line for days for the newest, insanely expensive hype product, HORNBACH created a design it-piece that cannot simply be bought. Instead, the WERKSTÜCK 001 Lounge Chair, designed by Danish designer Sigurd Larsen, can only be built. From scratch. With nothing but your bare hands.
Reaching peak exclusivity, the chair made strictly of materials out of HORNBACH's vast product range is a tribute to our customers' own capability, realized through the dedication of true DIY-ers:
Designed by Sigurd Larsen. Built by you.
Describe the creative idea
DIY superstore chain HORNBACH has always defined itself as a brand that only truly unfolds with the support of its customers: Creating greatness with nothing but your bare hands.
With the WERKSTÜCK Edition, HORNBACH paid tribute to this mission: An exclusive series of designs made entirely from the DIY market's vast product range. In short: Design that cannot simply be bought. Danish architect Sigurd Larsen's Lounge Chair can only be earned. Built from scratch. In the sweat of one's brow. Anything else wouldn’t be HORNBACH.
The Lounge Chair was released in the form of an elaborate book that takes a time to tell a story - at cost price, reaching even previously unattainable design target audiences all over Europe.
A home improvement store goes beyond its traditional territory.
And yet remains more than true to the core of its very self.
Describe the strategy
Goal was proving to design-affine adults as well as design professionals, while not leaving out the typical HORNBACH target group, that with HORNBACH, anything is possible. Inspired by high-end furniture design and dedicated to the democratic beliefe in DIY, HORNBACH in cooperation with Architect Sigurd Larsen, created something that lasts, an exclusive Lounge Chair separating talkers form do-ers, as you can´t simply buy but have to build it yourself.The elements of the campaign were planned with great attention to detail in order to succeed the target group goal and authentically and believably demonstrate that HORNBACH as a brand, can find a place in the midst of Architects and Designers were least expected. Carefully chosen blogs and magazines did not only display our print ad but began to talk about the project and Designer.
Describe the execution
Before the WERKSTÜCK's release, snippets of Sigurd Larsen's designer documentary were played out online. On HORNBACH's social channels, carefully curated teaser photos showing off the seemingly trivial materials (like a single brass screw) created anticipation and curiosity. After the book and the microsite (complete with manual and cutting template) were released, the story of "the chair you can't buy, but only build" quickly made the rounds: From magazines from the field of architecture, design and innovation, to documentaries about the democratization of design (online and on TV) and later, to the cultural section of various daily newspapers. As soon as the first pioneers were in the process of building their own WERKSTÜCK 001 Lounge Chair, organic interaction in the form of user-generated content came to form: Everyone proudly showing off their progress and finished chairs. Throughout the campaign, HORNBACH reached design-oriented audiences all over Europe that were previously thought unattainable.
List the results
HORNBACH was not only able to conquer a new target group of design-savy DIYers, but also to strengthen the brand and turn visitors into buyers. The WERKSTÜCK Edition reached over 1/3 of the desired audience via Print and truly engaged them due to precise online targeting: YouTube prerolls reached the highest View-through rate ever. (An increase of +88% compared to the HORNBACh benchmark so far). With 151.939 Klicks on the microsite, HORNBACH ultimately led passionate DIyers to discover the WERKSTÜCK Edition in depth.Brand preference recovered (+12,5% comapred to January 2017) and the WERKSTÜCK Edition spoke to the soul of true makers more than any campaign before, with 45% of respondents indicating as primar statement „The pleasure of creating something with your own hands“. Last but not least, the WERKSTÜCK Edition helped to turn visitors into buyers, with a conversion rate of +5,62% compared to January 2017.