True Value goes undercover with Nick Offerman
Laughlin Constable and True Value speak to modern DIY-ers with Nick Offerman in a new brand platform.
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A new campaign from Laughlin Constable for True Value featuring an "undercover" Nick Offerman, whose real-life woodworking passion is a fitting backdrop of the comedic hero spot.
As project culture evolves, the real appeal of DIY lies in the freedom to experiment, improvise, and make projects feel distinctly personal. That spirit has fueled a resurgence in modern DIY culture, and it’s the foundation of a new partnership that’s deeply rooted in authenticity, not just celebrity.
Tapping into the growing popularity, True Value partnered with its creative and media agency of record, Laughlin Constable, to launch Your Project, Your Way, a new brand platform designed to reintroduce one of America’s most iconic hardware names to a younger generation of today’s makers.
What sets this campaign apart is the shared values with Offerman and True Value. Offerman is an active woodworker and cites the importance of getting your hands dirty doing projects in his newest book, Little Woodchucks. Offerman was a frequent customer of True Value in Minooka, Illinois during his formative years.
Credits
View on- Agency Laughlin Constable/Milwaukee
- Production Company Broderville
- Director Jon Schwartz
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Credits
View on- Agency Laughlin Constable/Milwaukee
- Production Company Broderville
- Director Jon Schwartz
- Production Co. Dunshire Productions
- Associate Editor Clayton Ingalls
- Chief Creative Officer Jon Laughlin
- Chief Creative Officer Patrick Laughlin
- Group Creative Director Megan DeMeyer
- Creative Director Randall Kenworthy
- Creative Director Rachel Bottlinger-Howe
- Senior Art Director Dan Koel
- Associate Copywriter Jack DeMare
- Producer Vincent Geraghty
- Associate Director, Content Creation Connor Weitz
- Director Morgan Sackett
- Director Dean Holland
- Talent Nick Offerman
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Agency Laughlin Constable/Milwaukee
- Production Company Broderville
- Director Jon Schwartz
- Production Co. Dunshire Productions
- Associate Editor Clayton Ingalls
- Chief Creative Officer Jon Laughlin
- Chief Creative Officer Patrick Laughlin
- Group Creative Director Megan DeMeyer
- Creative Director Randall Kenworthy
- Creative Director Rachel Bottlinger-Howe
- Senior Art Director Dan Koel
- Associate Copywriter Jack DeMare
- Producer Vincent Geraghty
- Associate Director, Content Creation Connor Weitz
- Director Morgan Sackett
- Director Dean Holland
- Talent Nick Offerman
The campaign embraces the independence at the core of True Value’s nationwide network of locally owned stores with expert employees, and speaks directly to consumers who want to take on projects in their own way, whether they’re true DIYers or just getting started.
At the heart of the campaign is Undercover Nick, a hero spot starring comedian Nick Offerman, whose dry, grounded humor and status as a DIY icon bring instant cultural recognition. Offerman appears in-store, “disguised” as an employee wearing a variety of fake mustaches, helping customers navigate projects with a tone that’s intentionally more lighthearted and self-aware than the traditional Dad rock, can-do tone the category typically defaults to.
Additional spots under the “Your Project, Your Way” platform include :30 and :15 anthem spots that highlight the approachable, real-life spirit of True Value’s stores and customers. The campaign celebrates the individuality, humour, and trial-and-error charm that define how real people take on projects today, and how True Value can help each step of the way.
The launch marks a major moment for True Value. Following its acquisition by Do It Best Corp. last year, the brand is making a confident re-entry into the market that underscores its renewed momentum, commitment to independent retailers, and focus on connecting with a new generation of DIYers.
For Laughlin Constable, the work is personal, too. Co-CCO Jon Laughlin grew up in his grandparents’ Milwaukee hardware store, a True Value location that shaped not only his childhood but also the agency’s longstanding belief in the power of independent retailers.
The Your Project, Your Way platform will run across CTV, YouTube, paid social (Meta, TikTok, Pinterest), influencers, streaming audio, and in-store placements, with high-visibility moments during live sports, including its role as the Official Hardware Sponsor of the NCAA Big East Conference Tournament. Spots will appear during tournament games and surrounding March Madness placements, giving the brand a national stage at a cultural flashpoint.
"With Your Project, Your Way, we wanted to celebrate the independent spirit of our stores and the people who shop in them,” said Eric Lane, SVP Marketing, True Value. “We’re all for embracing creativity, encouraging experimentation, and showing that no project is too big or too small when you approach it on your own terms."
“True Value represents the independence of doing what you love with your own two hands,” said Offerman, actor and woodworker. “I was extremely gratified to work with an authentically charismatic brand that has been a part of my life dating all the way back to my childhood in Minooka, IL.”
“My grandparents owned a True Value store in Milwaukee, so I grew up around that spirit of knowing your neighbours, fixing things with your own two hands, and having a little fun along the way,” said Laughlin. “This campaign was really about capturing that feeling and celebrating the DIYers and the store owners with a tone that’s genuine, surprising, and just the right amount of irreverent. Nick Offerman was the perfect partner to bring that to life.”
