Several months ago, La-Z-Boy launched a new broadcast, print and online campaign touting a brand-new message: "Comfort. It's what we do."
Message: Few brands have as revered a place in America's consciousness as La-Z-Boy—and according to Tom Kirk, executive vice president and management account director at RPA, that was the problem. "They've been in business for 80 years," he says. "Almost everyone's father or grandfather had [a La-Z-Boy reclining chair]. The legacy was a blessing and the stumbling block." Younger consumers viewed La-Z-Boy's flagship product as unstylish and anachronistic—and worse, didn't associate the name with the wider La-Z-Boy furniture offerings. RPA's task, in a nutshell, was to bring the brand into the 21st Century without disavowing its legacy.
Media: Starting in September, national TV spots began running on ABC and more than 20 cable networks (including A&E, Bravo, ESPN and USA). Also debuting in September were interactive online ads, with print ads slated to premiere in national magazines in November. The humorous ads position La-Z-Boy's sofas, sectionals and stationary furniture as safe havens in an increasingly hectic world. The "comfort-seekers," as Kirk refers to the targeted audience, are down-to-earth, enjoy life and reject pretension—and that extends to their furniture purchases. "Our perception today is that life runs pretty fast," Kirk says. "The comfort-seekers like humor. No one sees La-Z-Boy as a serious, serious brand."
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