Letter Theft
Letter Theft
2021
·
HORNBACH
It was one of the great mysteries of 2022: Overnight, letters began to disappear from the signboards of HORNBACH markets all over Europe. One by one letters reappeared in the most unexpected places – German Twitch streams, Czech poetry slams, even Swedish music videos. And fueled an impassioned debate all over the web: Was HORNBACH behind it? Or something even bigger? A documentary short eventually revealed the culprits: a gang of creative renegades, claiming the letters as symbols of creativity. Proven by a campaign that wasn’t just broadcast but shaped together with fans.
BACKGROUND
HORNBACH stands for creative rebellion, but mostly to an older audience. Younger people, who skip ads and ignore DIY, didn't see the brand that way yet.
IDEA
Overnight, letters disappeared from HORNBACH signs all over Europe and turned up in Twitch streams, Czech poetry slams and Swedish music videos. Was HORNBACH behind it? A documentary short finally revealed a gang of creative renegades.
EXECUTION
Letters vanished from more than 30 stores across Europe. Missing posters and local radio started the hunt, while life-size replicas appeared unannounced in parks, flea markets, Prague's subway, TikTok stunts and Twitch streams, never commented on, until the film reveal.
AWARDS
ADC GERMANY
1× Gold — Social Media Activation
1× Gold — Integrated Campaign
1× Gold — Integrated Dialog Campaign
1× Silver — Integrated Concept
1× Silver — TV/Cinema Series
1× Silver — Integrated Campaign
2× Silver — Poster
1× Silver — B2C Activation
1× Bronze — Integrated Campaign
1× Bronze — OOH/Ambient Series
1× Bronze — Documentary
1× Bronze — Branded Video
1× Bronze — TV/Cinema Spot
1× Bronze — Cinematography
1× Bronze — Integrated Dialog Campaign
1× Bronze — Content Marketing
2× Bronze — Print Ad
1× Merit — Online Film
2× Merit — Documentary
1× Merit — Direction
1× Merit — Casting
1× Merit — Print Ad
ADC EUROPE
1× Gold — PR / Events
CANNES LIONS
1× Shortlist — Influencer & Co-Creation
THE ONE SHOW
1× Merit — Storytelling
CLIO
1× Shortlist — Out of Home, Ambient
ALSO AWARDED
LIA
Effie Germany
Die Klappe
AGENCY
HeimatTBWA
DIRECTION
Tom Dream
PRODUCTION
SLGH
CREATIVE DIRECTION
Guido Heffels
Luis Jaehner
Christofer Kümmerer
ART DIRECTION
Christoph Laurisch
Joaquin Aubele
COPYWRITING
John-Conrad Speer
