Ad of the Day: La-Z-Boy releases an anthem for the lazy and an AI-powered recliner

On Tuesday, the 96-year-old recliner retailer released ‘Long Live the Lazy,’ a multichannel campaign meant to reclaim the word ‘lazy‘ for hard-working consumers who enjoy their much-deserved downtime and highlight the comfort of the brand’s furniture. The work comprises a 30-second spot titled ‘We the Lazy’ and a consumer activation that gives away limited-edition, AI-powered recliners dubbed ‘Decliners.’

‘Long Live the Lazy‘ also ushers in La-Z-Boy’s modernized brand identity, which features a distinct shift in tone to focus on rewarding people who take moments for themselves.

“Our team at La-Z-Boy has been on a journey to become a more dynamic, distinct and interesting brand that will serve a broader consumer base,“ Christy Hoskins, vice-president and chief marketing officer at La-Z-Boy, told The Drum. “‘Long Live the Lazy’ taps into a human truth that resonates with so many people: modern life is really hectic, so claiming opportunities to indulge in moments of laziness is more vital than ever. The creative vision combines our greatest product strengths – comfort and motion – with the emotional benefits of much-deserved feet-up moments.“

‘We The Lazy,’ led by Santa Monica-based agency RPA, highlights the comfort of La-Z-Boy furniture through a diverse cast of characters in true relaxation. Each of them steadfastly profess their commitment and right to indulge in moments of laziness on their La-Z-Boy furniture. Take the people in the spot’s opening sequence, for example. The first man declares from his recliner, “We’re standing up for our right to be lazy,” to which a middle-aged couple adds, “By sitting down and reclining back.”

Another part of the campaign introduces ‘The Decliner,’ a limited-edition, AI-powered recliner that generates cancellation excuses in the form of text messages, allowing users to decline last-minute invitations to go out when they’d rather stay in.

What’s more? La-Z-Boy is giving away three Decliners exclusively through an online contest. To enter to win, consumers must submit their single most creative get-out-of-plans excuse to the brand. Entries can be submitted on TheDecliner.com or by posting them on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok) along with the #LongLiveTheLazy and #contest hashtags and tagging @Lazboy. The deadline to enter is 12:00 am ET on Monday, September 11. Winners will be notified after the brand has adequately judged entries in early October.

The Decliner consumer activation and updated branding elements were developed by Minneapolis creative agency Colle McVoy alongside its boutique public relations and design agencies, Exponent and 10 Thousand Design.

“La-Z-Boy is focused on reaching a broader set of customers by showing we understand the role our transformational comfort plays in their day-to-day lives,” Hoskins added. “As a result, the brand will show up in places it never has before, including sports networks, streaming music and mobile gaming, all of which perfectly complement moments of laziness.”

The media buy of ‘Long Live the Lazy‘ also marks La-Z-Boy’s first attempt at broadening its target demographic beyond adults aged 35 to 64. For the first time, the brand will be on sports networks, as well as sponsoring ad-free listening on Pandora and mobile gaming such as Candy Crush and Words With Friends. The campaign will also include a unique Today Show custom sponsorship, broad reach takeovers on Max and Hulu, video placements across Pinterest and Meta, high-impact video and binge ads, expanded social presence on TikTok and Pinterest, and editorial storytelling on Apartment Therapy and Yahoo!.  

Credits:

Creative and media agency (We the Lazy): RPA

Creative agency (Decliner): Colle McVoy

PR: Exponent

Design agency: 10 Thousand Design

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