• A rich media execution lets users explore a Merillat kitchen within a banner ad.

  • What’s more appealing than chef Curtis Stone? The great function of a Merillat kitchen, of course.

  • Counter cards at the dealer showrooms showcased functional features and encouraged shoppers to interact with the cabinets.

  • A nationwide satellite media tour reached 30 major markets, including NY and LA, with Curtis Stone’s tips on “Functional Solutions for your Kitchen.”

  • For the first time, the #1 food and #1 home networks created added value content across all their TV and online properties. One example was Food Network’s “Easy Entertaining Tips” incorporating Merillat cabinets.

  • A new tagline addresses people who really use their kitchen and a fresh, clean brand ID reflects this sensibility.

the challenge

Home magazines and websites are full of beautiful images of beautiful, spotless, never-been-used kitchens. But research revealed that women want much more from a kitchen than beauty –– they want to actually use their kitchen. So Merillat saw an opportunity to build on their tradition of functional innovation.

the solution

We focused on a higher-level benefit, function, in a way that no one had ever done before. We developed a positioning that reflects this: The dream kitchen for the real world. Finally, we enlisted chef Curtis Stone to demonstrate that Merillat cabinets make your kitchen work better.

the results

  • Click through rates on interactive were 3X the industry average and 5X the industry average on custom sponsorships

  • Social media participation and mentions among the female target audience were up over 50% in just two months of the campaign

  • For 2010, PR efforts generated more than 210 million impressions