Chaise or Chase? American Signature Kick Starts New Campaign

This summer, family-owned home furnishings company American Signature, Inc. (ASI) enters into the next phase of a 100-year journey with a gleefully unconventional new broadcast campaign, courtesy of marketing agency Translation. Helmed by acclaimed comedy director Harold Einstein, the six spot commercial effort forms the laugh-out-loud manifesto to a sweeping refresh of the marketing strategy behind ASI’s Value City Furniture (VCF) and American Signature Furniture (ASF) brands. The new spots center on customers’ unique reactions to their new pieces, and were inspired by the idea that, when it’s easy to get great style at great value, customers leave the shopping experience feeling differently.

“American Signature Furniture and Value City Furniture are tried and true heritage brands, and with that heritage comes a real insight into the consumer experience,” remarked ASI President Jonathan Schottenstein. “We understand that furniture shopping can be stressful, and we’re committed to using that insight to reinvent the experience. Whether it’s with our exclusive Easy Pass technology, or our unrivaled selection of styles, we’re making furniture shopping as easy and enjoyable as possible for our customers.”

The new spots seize on that commitment to the customer experience with a winning mix of Translation’s leading-edge creative and Einstein’s singularly off-kilter comedic timing. “We wanted to play these scripts as if the scenarios were everyday occurrences,” notes Einstein. “Of course an ugly old coffee table would make you feel sick after getting a taste of a beautiful new couch.” The director – whose credits include a hilarious multi-spot campaign for travel search engine KAYAK, CarMax’s acclaimed :60 spot for Super Bowl XLVII, and many more – delivers an understated approach that amplifies the spots’ over-the-top humor while highlighting consumers’ emotional connections to furniture.

Translation produced all components of the new campaign, from strategy to creative development, after being tapped by ASI in mid-2013. “Our goal was to disrupt the retail space and give the American Signature brands a voice,” says Translation CCO John Norman. “Talking about furniture should be as fun and exciting as everything else. In this campaign, the product is the story.”

“The ASI customer wants to feel smart, savvy, and stylish, and already knows that VCF and ASF both offer unbeatable prices,” adds Translation VP, Group Strategy Director John McBride. “Our task was to peer into the soul of these brands to find a more well-rounded expression of their competitive advantages, demonstrating the ASI commitment to style and convenience with a voice that’s funny, sophisticated, and relatable.”

Credits

Agency: Translation

CEO: Steve Stoute

CCO: John Norman

President: Nils Peyron

ECD: Marc d’Avignon, Jay Berry, Eric Kallman, Chris Valencius

Partner, Group Strategy Director: John McBride

ACD, Copywriter: Katherine O’Brien

ACD, Art Director: Kasia Haupt Canning

Executive Producer: Peter Ostella

VP, Account Director: Daniel Mize

Production Company: dummy.

Director: Harold Einstein

Director of Photography: Sam Chase

Executive Producer: Eric Liney

Line Producer: Eric Liney

Editorial Company: Mackenzie Cutler

Editor: Dave Anderson

Assistant Editor: Pamela Petruski

Post Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld

Post Producer: Evan Meeker

VFX/Graphics Company: Wolf & Crow

Designers: Chad Howitt, Kevin Stein

Executive Producer: Eric McCasline

VFX Producer: Matt Olson

Audio Post: Heard City

Mixer: Phil Loeb, Dan Flosdorf

Executive Producer: Gloria Pitagorsky

Producer: Sasha Awn, Katie Flynn

Music: “Pickles for Preggo”

Composer: Marmoset Music

Music Supervision: Wool & Tusk