Penguin peekaboo paying off for Arhaus Furniture
Lisa Casinger, Retail Editor -- Home Accents Today, 3/1/2005
Every once in a while you come across an ad or mailer that actually grabs your attention, like the latest catalog from Walton Hills, Ohio-based Arhaus Furniture. The front cover features a single black leather chair ... with a Magellanic penguin perched on top. The tag line is "Come in from the Cold."
The flightless fowl are hidden throughout the catalog as part of a contest. Find all the birds and win the chance at a Regina leather chair. A chair was given away in 22 of Arhaus' 25 stores located throughout Colorado, Florida, Ohio, New York, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri and Virginia.
The contest, which started in January and ran through the end of February, was the brainchild of Arhaus' recently hired vice president of advertising, marketing and creative director, Pieter O'Brien.
"During the first two weeks the traffic on our Web site was up 67%," Pieter said. "And the following weeks it was up 38%."
Penguin placement was well thought out, as was the contest itself. Customers could fill out the entry form attached to the mailer, enter online or in the stores and rather than leaving the number of penguins open, the entry form gave a choice of 28, 30, 32, 34, 38 or 40 birds.
"This way people couldn't just say I found 20, fill it in and be done. Listing choices made them go back to find more, and really look at the furniture closely. We have eclectic mix-and-match furnishings and this new campaign really showcases the diversity and multi-cultural nature of our product," Pieter said.
The penguins also are the stars of a billboard campaign in Arhaus' St. Louis market. The billboard changes every two weeks, adding more and more tux-clad birds until it's filled. An estimated 82,600 passersby each week are expected to see the campaign evolve over a three-month period.
The Come in from the Cold campaign of billboards, direct mail, print ads and television spots is the first of many innovative ideas Pieter has up his sleeve for Arhaus this year.
"John Reed, Arhaus CEO and owner, brought me on board to give the catalogs a new look. Our old ones were good and we've always been known for great photography, but they weren't really reflective of Arhaus' corporate image," Pieter said.
Pieter's idea was to bring more humor and heart into the marketing collateral and to illustrate Arhaus' personality and brand. A new corporate logo will roll out in a couple of months as well, as this well-known midwestern retailer reaches for national recognition.
Arhaus also is targeting a younger consumer with its new image.
"Our idea is to excite consumers just getting out of college, introduce them to our product and have them grow with us," Pieter said. "This recent campaign educated our core customer and got them to really look at our furniture again and it brought in a new customer base."
Arhaus is known for its custom products with design teams that travel the world discovering pieces to recreate that are then hand-assembled exclusively for the company. The company principles are the design must be unique, have lasting quality and be made of the world's finest materials. The company also is all about global preservation and being environmentally friendly, a tenant Pieter is tapping into with the upcoming spring catalog.
"Spring is about refreshing our hearts, souls and homes. Our next catalog will feature a page of special paper with flower seeds embedded in it," he said. "You tear out the page, wet it and plant it. Then sit back and watch your garden grow. The theme is Dig it. Customers also will be invited to come into the store for a free seed bag."
In his three short months on the job, Pieter has given Arhaus a new look and is helping position the retailer for further growth. Arhaus opened a store in Denver in January and plans to open another in Tysons Corners, Va., later this year. Two more stores will open in 2005–2006. Pieter brought an extensive marketing and fashion background to the mix from being a buyer for Macy's and fashion editor at GQ magazine to a vice president at Henry Grethel and working in R&D at Atlantic records — and it's certainly paying off for Arhaus.
A plethora of penguins prance across this St. Louis billboard.
This shot from the upcoming spring catalog emphasizes the "Dig It" theme with a little humor.
Left: Though product shots are still important, models in the latest catalog appeal to a younger market, as compared to an older version of the catalog at right.
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