Creative Approach
The Client: Esh Hardware & Farm Supply is a home (and farm) improvement store located in the heart of Lancaster County, PA. Like others in their category, Esh’s advertising is often centered around the promotion of products they have available. Unlike those others, however, their target audience is primarily Amish. This brings with it some unique cultural challenges, and of course, opportunities.
The Goal: John’s Detailing specializes in vehicle protection and appearance enhancement. They are makers of products for this purpose including cleaners, degreasers, waxes and polishes—branded under the name “Secretshine.” The goal was simple: announce the availability of John’s Detailing products at Esh, while demonstrating the benefits of their Secretshine product line for an Amish audience.
The Strategy: For this, we ran a traditional print ad in The Pennsylvania Busy Beaver, an Amish-to-Amish publication featuring classifieds for horse auctions, equipment rentals, and much more. We recognized a distinct opportunity in the fact that most Amish customers haven’t been exposed to the kind of digital, television, or even print advertising that “English” audiences have seen over the past few decades. This allowed us to focus on creating visual interest in the subtle, conceptual way that has always made print a powerful medium. Such an ad was sure to stand out.
The Ad
The proposition is simple: “John’s Detailing products make vehicles shine.” But given the importance of modesty in Amish culture, it was necessary that we speak to the nature of the product without emphasizing the attention or envy it would garner. Take, for instance, this Black Magic ad from 2004. Instead, playing off of the name “Secretshine,” we let little visual cues lead the audience to the realization of an image that is ultimately straightforward.
The final ad features the Esh Hardware storefront with its roof line interrupted by a bright orange flasher. With it pulling the eye to the details along the outer edges, an Amish viewer naturally recognizes this shot as a close-up of a horse-drawn buggy. Although carriages like these are only one type of vehicle with which the Amish are familiar, carriages are the most specific to their unique way of life and a symbol of their own “brand.”
With this knowledge, the Esh storefront is revealed to be an extremely clear reflection on the surface of a pristine black carriage. John’s Detailing products are highlighted as what they are: products that work, available at your local hardware store. Additional lifestyle benefits are humbly left open to the imagination of the audience.
My Role—
Creative Direction, Copywriting, Photography
Agency—
Lancaster Design & Consulting