Westlake Ace Hardware's Zombie Preparedness Center

Westlake Ace Hardware's latest social media campaign can't be missed. Everyone online seems to be talking about the Zombie Preparedness Center, and the retail chain headquarted in Lenexa, KS is getting plenty of attention from the likes of AdAge, The Consumerist and The Washington Post.

In case you don't spend at least 53% of your time online with social networking sites like the majority of Americans, here is a quick intro to the Westlake effort:  Westlake Ace Hardware has taken the novel approach of actively marketing itself as the one-stop-shop for any and all zombie preparedness needs for the living—and the undead, too. The chain has established Zombie Preparedness Centers in their stores, and is sharing content on their website, Facebook page and Twitter feeds.

“We knew that if we were going to get noticed by this younger demographic, we’d need to be willing to try some things with the brand we hadn’t done before,” said Liz Benditt, Westlake Hardware’s director of customer relationship development. “And it’s paying off.”

Westlake Hardware’s current customer base is primarily adults ages 40 and older. One of the company’s marketing goals is to grow its customer base among younger adults ages 25 to 40.

Westlake Hardware and Omaha marketing agency Bozell created its Halloween campaign with this in mind, leveraging a theme popular with this demographic (zombies) through media they are already engaged in (web, Facebook and Twitter).

Though the zombie campaign is more colorful and edgier than Westlake’s traditional style to engage younger adults, the message is consistent with Westlake’s core brand message—that Westlake is the place for do-it-yourselfers to get supplies and expert assistance for any project. Even zombie protection and assistance for the undead.

Westlake Ace Hardware currently works with Bozell for digital and social media, including website and email efforts, and with Kansas City agency Barkley for 1:1 analytics and brand work.