Miracle-Gro shares Martha Stewart’s gardening secrets in new campaign

Dive Brief:

ScottsMiracle-Gro, the consumer lawn and garden care products company, announced a partnership between its Miracle-Gro brand and home decor and gardening expert Martha Stewart for a new “Gro Like Martha” campaign launching today (April 8), according to a press release.
The campaign intends to shift the perception of gardening as complex while touting the benefits of using the right dirt. The approach includes educational content like video spots and an “Ask Martha” newsletter on the Miracle-Gro website.
The effort, handled by new creative agency of record The Martin Agency, will also span mass-reach premium linear cable and connected TV (CTV), sponsorship of season two of “Martha Gardens” on the Roku Channel, audio, in-app integrations and paid social.

Dive Insight:

Miracle-Gro is pulling back the curtain on Stewart’s gardening secrets with the launch of “Gro Like Martha,” a campaign that could help the marketer reach new audiences, including those who may be less experienced with gardening and seeking tips. Gardening got a boost as a popular hobby during the pandemic, a trend that research suggests remains strong.

Stewart, who has become something of a marketing staple lately, also appeared in ScottsMiracle-Gro’s debut Super Bowl ad in 2021 alongside stars including John Travolta and the late Carl Weathers.

Throughout her partnership with Miracle-Gro, Stewart will share tips and encouragement to gardeners via educational content. Included in the advertising campaign is a 30-second spot, “Dirt Nerd,” which stars Stewart alongside her well-known head gardener, Ryan McCallister, explaining why good soil matters, expressing that “it really is about the dirt” while touting the benefits of Miracle-Gro. A 15-second spot, “Raised Bed,” again reveals Stewart’s gardening secret as Miracle-Gro — along with McCallister.

“Gro Like Martha,” developed with creative AOR The Martin Agency, showcases the new Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed & Garden Soil, a quick-release natural fertilizer. The campaign also comes as the brand unveils its new Miracle-Gro Organic All Natural Mulch. Alongside linear cable placements, the effort will span CTV, including integrations on “Martha Gardens” on the Roku Channel, helping to ensure the campaign is seen even among cord-cutting consumers.

Additionally, the campaign will include paid content across Meta, TikTok, Pinterest and Snapchat, in-app integrations on apps Uber, Zillow and mobile game Stardew Valley as well as in-stream audio placements on iHeartRadio and Pandora. Extending to a variety of different channels could help Miracle-Gro build stronger brand loyalty among both experienced gardeners and those who may be just beginning their gardening journeys, including younger, digitally driven consumers.

ScottsMiracle-Gro is based in Columbus, Ohio and bills itself as the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care with approximately $3.6 billion in sales. Also included in the company’s purview alongside Miracle-Gro are its Ortho and Scotts brands.

Miracle-Gro is among a growing list of brands who have teamed with Stewart. Tito’s Handmade Vodka last year paired with the celebrity for a campaign focused on how to put vodka to good use during Dry January, a month where some consumers challenge themselves to abstain from alcohol consumption. Others, including Pure Leaf, Oreo and BIC, have also enlisted the star, with the latter’s effort centered around pot-smoking holiday April 20.