Lowe's supplies inspiration for DIY signs to thank healthcare workers

Dive Brief:

Lowe's debuted a campaign that encourages people to support first responders by building and posting signs with messages of gratitude in their yards, the company shared via press release.
The building supply retailer is calling on people to create DIY thank-you messages for healthcare workers using materials from around the house, such as paint or holiday lights. Lowe's created a dedicated landing page of inspiration and instructions.
Participants are encouraged to put up their signage on April 6 and share a photo on social media with the hashtag #BuildThanks. Lowe's promises to spend $100 million to support its associates, customers and communities during the crisis, includes a $10 million donation in essential protective gear to medical workers.

Dive Insight:

As consumers are stuck at home during coronavirus-related quarantines, some may be using this time to undertake home projects and share their renovations online, with others seeking ideas for entertainment and ways to give back to the community. Lowe's is tapping into this mindset by giving people a productive craft idea that expresses support and appreciation for the healthcare workers who are fighting the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes.

Lowe’s invites do-it-yourselfers to join us in creating expressions of gratitude to our frontline heroes. To participate, we encourage those at home to create DIY thank you messages using objects that can already be found around the house. #BuildThanks https://t.co/g42PqjiLu1 pic.twitter.com/2GtwYDA1dT
— Lowe's Media (@LowesMedia) March 31, 2020

The campaign message aligns with Lowe's strategy, which recently included an effort to show people how to make their homes more festive for Super Bowl parties. The "Bring it Home" initiative supplied DIY home improvement tips for folks hosting viewing parties and included an interactive game with an NFL-themed setting.

This time around, the brand is encouraging customers to engage with Lowe's and support their local community by creating physical lawn signs and sharing them on social media, which may extend the campaign's reach and build positive brand buzz.

Lowe's latest effort comes under the direction of new marketing leadership. Marisa Thalberg, former CMO of Taco Bell, joined the home improvement company as its chief marketer in February. Thalberg is credited with transforming Taco Bell into a full-fledged lifestyle brand with popular offerings that go beyond fast food, including merchandise, wedding services and a hotel. Lowe's appears to be following suit with the positivity-centered #BuildThanks effort, as it focuses less on product sales and more on the retailer's role within the community.

Lowe's latest campaign is reminiscent of Benjamin Moore's recent "See the Love" initiative, which plays up appreciation for the people that execute home renovations. The 60-second anthem spot celebrates the professionals whose work and "love of craft can turn work and labor into a work of art."