HORNBACH finds the beauty in imperfection

Posted on 2021 Oct,20 | By ArabAd's staff

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HORNBACH finds the beauty in imperfection

While most of the world is chasing unrealistic standards of perfection, the autumn campaign of the European DIY store chain HORNBACH takes the exact opposite approach. It gives people courage when not everything goes according to plan.

Based on the motto ‘Es kann nicht schlecht sein. Denn es ist von Dir.’ (It can’t be bad. Because it is made by you.), HORNBACH puts the ambitions of DIYers above their results. A little crooked, askew, imprecise... even the most gifted DIYer messes up sometimes. But is that really a mistake? Not at all! The only mistake would be to let setbacks paralyse you into doing nothing. Both in real life and in DIY projects.

Of course, HORNBACH is not celebrating abject failure in its new campaign. But rather the little flaws, the things that give something character. Whether it’s a DIY projects or even a person. And, so, the new advert shows a rather unusual nonchalance on the part of HORNBACH towards perfection. Small imperfections are lovingly highlighted at the centre of the campaign: the squeaky parquet floor, the crooked tile, the messed-up paint job, the chair that won’t stand straight. All of these little flaws are at the heart of the advert and even bring a smile to their creators. Because they will see the beauty in their work. Every project is good if you give it your all.

‘We all make little mistakes. But that shouldn’t take away from the overall success. Ultimately, you got things together and took on the project. At HORNBACH, we think this is what really matters, and with the ‘Your Work’ message, we’re shining a light on these little mistakes,’ says Thomas Schnaitmann, Head of International Branding at HORNBACH.

‘Humanity, understanding and empathy have always been the cornerstones of our work with HORNBACH. We always start off with people and the times we live in. To do anything else would make no sense,’ says Guido Heffels, founder of Heimat agency.

The video was directed by Rune Milton and produced by Tony Petersen Film. Michael Duttenhöfer was the executive producer. Featuring music from Thomas Berlin (48k) and sound design from David Arnold (LOFT), the advert is an emotional ode to setting about a task, trying things out, failing and then trying again.

In addition to the video, there are three OOH motifs, each of which creates an oversized campaign motif out of a small mistake. With the corresponding social media campaign, HORNBACH is giving fans the opportunity to share the story behind their flaws with the community and, in doing so, to discover the joy in the little details that DIY lovers typically prefer to keep hidden.