Harbor Freight: Lost Art

Andrew Butler, Katie McClay, Alissa Coronna

Tool and equipment retailer Harbor Freight grew awareness, consideration and sales in the US by repositioning itself with a more emotional brand message delivered via TV, online and social media.

Campaign details

Brand: Harbor FreightBrand owner: Harbor FreightEntrant company: Leo Burnett - USAIdea creation: Publicis ChicagoMarket: North AmericaSector: RetailMedia channels: Online video, Social media, Video on demand

Executive summary

In 2021, the home improvement category spiked to $538bn (from $456bn in 2020). Americans were spending more time at home, and spending more time fixing up their homes.[1] Competitors including Home Depot and Lowe’s ‘owned’ the market, attracting the vast majority of DIYers and pros taking on new projects.

Harbor Freight had very low brand awareness – only...

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