New Office Depot Push Aims to Take Care of Business: Battling Amazon and Staples

Author: Adrianne Pasquarelli / Source: Advertising Age

Office supply chains are going to the marketing mattresses. One month after Staples began repositioning itself in a new ad campaign, Office Depot is bringing out its own new brand campaign and messaging. After attempts for a $6.3 billion merger between the two office supply chains failed last year, each brand is doing its best to compete against the fast-growing Amazon.

“Marketing is key,” said Matt Sargent, senior VP-retail at consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates. “The one advantage Staples or Office Depot has over Amazon is they’re focused on a narrow set of categories and that means something to their users.”

In Boca Raton-based Office Depot’s new push, the company will emphasize how it can help its customers, both businesses and consumers, accomplish their work tasks. “Taking care of business is not for the faint of heart. Still, you take care of it,” a voiceover says in a 30-second TV spot. “But who takes care of you?” The video shows busy moms juggling careers, and construction and office workers toiling at their jobs as they turn to Office Depot Office Max for supplies. The song, “Taking care of business,” which the brand first tapped for its marketing in the late 80s but has not used in at least five years, returns as Office Depot’s theme.

“Our brand needs a bit of refreshing,” explained Diane Nicks, senior VP-marketing at Office Depot. “‘Taking care of business’ is more than just a tagline, it’s really how we’re going to connect emotionally with customers.”

Less humor, more TCB
The new work is more serious in tone than more recent, humorous efforts from the brand, and also marks Office Depot’s return to TV since a back-to-school push last year. The brand’s previous messaging, “Gear Up for Great,” dates back to 2015. That campaign was created with McCann, which had worked with Office…

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