Pandemic Creative | Case Study

I was in Chicago with our production team when the COVID-19 pandemic became more than a media abstraction. One of the producers on our job found out he'd been exposed to the virus, which immediately shut down production for the day. Our brand manager let us know she was pregnant. We were all working in close quarters. Trump appeared on TV that night to close flights, and America learned Tom Hanks was infected. Crazy time to be on production.

By the time production wrapped (the producer tested negative - whew), The Richards Group and The Home Depot had closed their offices, and employees were home, learning about a new thing called Zoom.

The Home Depot considered going dark for two weeks. But we persuaded them not to. "The Home Depot is a friend," we said. "And what kind of friend stops talking at a time like this?"

We scrubbed every scheduled ad for tone-deaf language and found our rallying cry, "It's a good time to be a doer," just sounded wrong. And the energetic music we'd been using seemed inappropriately peppy.

In the first weeks of the pandemic, we used footage from our vast library of previously-run spots against a gentler, less urgent music track to launch a very straight forward spot titled "Here to Help."

By April, it was clear that The Home Depot's business was thriving - despite the masks and the newly-installed plexiglass. Homebound people were taking on projects they'd never made time for. So we crowd-sourced footage from friends and family, and released a series of videos showing how The Home Depot helps doers do more - even in a pandemic.

We soon pivoted to a more hopeful, more ownable message. Using mostly stock footage, we showed what most people across the country were doing: sheltering at home and taking on projects. Because "there will always be doers."

For Mother's Day, we launched another spot using stock footage. Not wanting to drive crowds to the stores, this was the first Mother's Day in years that we didn't advertise their Garden Center. We simply  saluted moms as the doers they are.

By July, we were preparing for our first production since March. Following CDC and industry guidelines, the director and producer would be on set, but the agency and clients joined pre-pro meetings and the shoot remotely. We even auditioned actors who were married or living together to better manage any health risks.

As we continued to cast co-habitating talent, scout safe locations locations, present ideas, and produce commercials virtually, our work began to reflect the reality we're all living.