ACE Holi-DIY
AN ENTIRE ORCHESTRA IN A HARDWARE STORE
The Ask
When OKRP Chicago came to us with a holiday campaign idea for ACE Hardware, it was a familiar concept. The trope of playing Christmas songs using the sound of tools has been used many times by different brands over the years. In all the executions that existed the music was always faked by using samplers and studio magic to pitch shift the tools into a melody. For this execution I convinced the agency to let us do it FOR REAL … No samplers, no pitch shifting. The authenticity resonated with audiences and ACE has used the spot for years during the holidays.
The Ask
When OKRP Chicago came to us with a holiday campaign idea for ACE Hardware, it was a familiar concept. The trope of playing Christmas songs using the sound of tools has been used many times by different brands over the years. In all the executions that existed the music was always faked by using samplers and studio magic to pitch shift the tools into a melody. For this execution I convinced the agency to let us do it FOR REAL … No samplers, no pitch shifting. The authenticity resonated with audiences and ACE has used the spot for years during the holidays.
The Execution
The musical pitch of every tool available in an Ace Hardware store was meticulously documented in a massive spreadsheet. After collecting a database of possible tones a key was chosen for the song and our “orchestra” was determined. I did end up making a quick 2x4 marimba just for fun and a mock up Rube Goldberg run that played the rhythm of the song. We ended up making it out of circular saw blades on set, which was legit terrifying. The commitment to doing this authentically was incredibly rewarding, sometimes the long road has the best views.
The Execution
The musical pitch of every tool available in an Ace Hardware store was meticulously documented in a massive spreadsheet. After collecting a database of possible tones a key was chosen for the song and our “orchestra” was determined. I did end up making a quick 2x4 marimba just for fun and a mock up Rube Goldberg run that played the rhythm of the song. We ended up making it out of circular saw blades on set, which was legit terrifying. The commitment to doing this authentically was incredibly rewarding, sometimes the long road has the best views.