Oscar-Nominated Director Ted Melfi Directs New Advertising Campaign for Havertys

“Havertys Can Make Your Home Look Perfect, Even When Life Isn’t” is Message of Television Spots Created by Unbound Agency and Directed by Hidden Figures Director and Screenwriter

"Raccoon" is one of five spots developed by Kansas City-based agency Unbound, for a Havertys campaign directed by Ted Melfi. (Photo: Business Wire)

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--()--Ted Melfi, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director of 2016’s Hidden Figures, has lent his storytelling talents to a clever new ad campaign for Havertys, the full-service home furnishings retailer, dubbed: Havertys Can Make Your Home Look Perfect, Even When Life Isn’t. Created by Kansas City-based advertising agency Unbound, the spots, which begin airing May 15, bring to life with humor a common theme in Melfi’s work – “we all get to the peak together or we don’t get there at all.”

“Against the backdrop of somewhat challenging and uncertain times, we sought Ted’s award-winning direction and creativity to highlight an underlying theme of ‘life isn’t perfect but your home can be’,” said Clarence H. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta-based Havertys. “The campaign, conceived by Unbound, resonates because it’s grounded in humanity and drives an authentic connection with consumers who ultimately seek comfort at home to escape the outside world, now more than ever.”

“Ted, the team at Havertys and our creative team all saw eye-to-eye and fell in love with the basic notion that life has its hurdles,” said Dave Lubeck, Managing Director at Unbound. “And while everyone knows this, it’s rare that a brand is actually comfortable with its product not being glamourized but rather simply being part of a family. The furniture in this campaign is an extension of the family, as they sleep, eat, watch television and confront daily battles. It shows the truth behind what it is to be a family and live together, and succeeds in highlighting how furniture relates to that.”

According to Melfi, whose work speaks to humanistic themes and character-driven cohesiveness, the challenge with this campaign was to take something relatively ordinary and make it memorable – as he did in successfully making the subjects of math and science exciting in Hidden Figures.

“People are craving humanity in everything we do,” said Melfi. “I’ve never been involved with a campaign and a client that was so comfortable celebrating the unvarnished truth of real life, rather than seeking celebrity or commercialization. The spots are forward-looking and almost irreverent. They’re relatable because they’re us.”

The campaign – featuring the tagline “Life Looks Good” – features five :30 spots, including “Janice,” “Knock Knock,” and “Raccoon” which will start to air on May 15th; “Permanent Marker” and “Family Football” began running last Fall. The spots are scheduled to air across multiple networks and dayparts.

To date, the new creative platform and campaign has been well received by both internal and external stakeholders, as evidenced in part by Havertys 28 percent jump in earnings for the first quarter of this year. Changes in marketing – including adjustments to the company’s media mix, more localized marketing efforts and enhancements to its website – were recently cited as factors in creating better returns and differentiating from the competition.

About Unbound

Unbound, a Kansas City-based new agency model, is an agile and lean team of highly successful marketing and advertising strategists whose passion is developing and re-energizing brands. Its process is unburdened and streamlined with a particular focus on producing tangible results for its clients' businesses. Embracing today’s project-oriented advertising world, Unbound utilizes a curated network of top-rated creative, digital and media specialists to implement marketing platforms and ideas developed precisely for each clients' needs.

About Havertys

Havertys (NYSE:HVT) (NYSE:HVT.A), established in 1885, is a full-service home furnishings retailer with 124 showrooms in 16 states in the Southern and Midwestern regions providing its customers with a wide selection of quality merchandise in middle to upper-middle price ranges. Additional information is available on the Company’s website, havertys.com.

Contacts

LAK Public Relations
Marie Espinel, 212-575-4545
mespinel@lakpr.com

Contacts

LAK Public Relations
Marie Espinel, 212-575-4545
mespinel@lakpr.com