'Discount' doesn't mean 'cheap' in Bob's Discount Furniture's first campaign from Barton F. Graf

As it expands to new locations, Bob’s Discount Furniture is out with a branding campaign to convey that it’s not a cheap discounter. On July 1, the retail chain will debut the new work, which still includes Bob, the brand’s two-foot-tall spokespuppet.

“What we’re finding is absent of any kind of story or context, people go to Bob’s Discount Furniture thinking we’re selling cheap furniture,” says Steve Nesle, chief marketing officer of the Manchester, Connecticut-based chain. “The idea was to change the meaning of the word 'discount' in our name to tell more of the truth behind the brand.”

In one quirky spot (above), a young man reclines on a couch and remarks that it does not look like a “discount sofa.” Spokespuppet Bob sets him straight: “It’s not. Everything I sell is quality furniture, and I give you a discount—Bob’s discount.” The sentiment is repeated in a flash forward, when the customer is old and gray but not senile enough to forget Bob’s discount.

The campaign comes as Bob’s is in growth mode. The retailer, which was founded in 1991, currently has 119 stores—15 of which were opened in the last six months. Two additional locations are slated to open later this year. Nesle noted that the chain is doing well because it has figured out how to maximize its supply chain—something the new ads focus on. 

The campaign includes a series of 30- and 15-second spots as well as some radio ads, out-of-home and digital. Bob’s is also giving out swag, such as T-shirts and pins. The new work is Bob’s first from Barton F. Graf, an agency that the retailer began working with earlier this year. Havas Boston handled media duties.

Bob’s is also updating its website, which it tapped Deloitte Digital to help overhaul. A Bob’s app includes augmented reality for customers to see furniture in their homes before they buy.