Rediscover lawn joy

At Sponge we often take initiatives to brands that we believe will benefit with a fresh approach from a different perspective. As was the case with this national TV and social media campaign for Victa, iconic Aussie garden brand.

We identified an opportunity for Victa to own the emotional reward of a beautifully maintained lawn, a first for the category. And a campaign that only Victa could support, as Australia’s garden tool specialist of more than 60 years.

‘Rediscover lawn joy’ is a strategy that celebrates the enjoyment a lawn can deliver; there’s nothing more magical than the feeling of grass underfoot and the smell of a freshly mown lawn.

What ‘Rediscover Lawn Joy’ started was extended to further campaigns to launch new products and support existing Victa products across the portfolio, including hand held power garden tools. By focusing on the emotional engagement with the brand, we not only increased audience engagement, we also maximised sales across the Victa portfolio.

CHALLENGE

• More competitors are entering the category and new lithium battery technology is eroding traditional petrol driven mower market share.

• Maintain and reinforce Victa’s reputation as Australia’s most credible garden tool brand, manufacturing well constructed and engineered equipment boasting Briggs and Stratton motors.

SOLUTION

Harnessing our team insights, Sponge developed a series of scenarios that celebrate lawn joy.

From the exuberance of the family dog rolling around on freshly mown lawn, to the childhood fun of running through the backyard sprinkler in summer, and the all time Christmas favourite; backyard cricket.

Sponge created a series of videos that capture these joyous moments and bring to life the promise inherent in rediscovering lawn joy. The campaign message was extended to include a call to action via a Father’s Day competition.

The videos were supported by a campaign of tips to help bring out the best in the lawn.

VICTA 18V RANGE AND 18V START/PETROL MOWER LAUNCH

In the last few years, lithium powered battery lawnmowers and garden tools have become more widely accepted. Advances in technology have made the batteries perform longer and deliver better results. Victa introduced a range of lightweight 18V garden tools including mower, line trimmer, hedger and blower.

We created a national TV and digital campaign targeted at a younger, tech savvy audience who typically have smaller gardens and lawns. Apart being lightweight and ideal to share the work, the tools are more compact and designed for smaller yards, common in the inner city.

To launch the new Victa 18V start, petrol engine lawnmower, the biggest challenge was to ensure the distinct petrol + battery combination was clearly understood by consumers. The new lawnmower combined the power and efficiency of a traditional petrol engine with the ease and convenience of battery powered push button start.

The approach we took was to create a series of videos that compared the combination (petrol+battery) with other great combinations including the Labradoodle, the lemonade tree and the ‘wheelie wicket’, offering consumers the ‘best of both worlds’.