YellaWood

YellaWood® Turned a Commodity into a Category Leader 

Lumber isn’t exactly an emotional purchase. Until it is. A single campaign made YellaWood® the #1 brand of pressure-treated pine and earned every metric to prove it. 

  • 37 Point

    Awareness lift

  • 16 Point

    Purchase intent lift

  • #1

    Top performer against competitors in All Branding Metrics

At a Glance

Client
YellaWood®
Campaign
Five-Star Backyards
Audiences
Contractors and Consumers
Client Relationship
10+ Years

Overview

Growing their business required making an emotional connection between YellaWood® as a commodity brand and it’s B2B and B2C customers.

YellaWood® is the kind of brand that shouldn’t work as a creative brief. Lumber is a commodity. It’s functional, interchangeable, and about as far from an emotional purchase as you can get.

But that’s exactly where the opportunity lived.

Research showed that both contractors and consumers has something in common—they cared deeply about the end result. Not the lumber itself, but what it built. So we built a campaign around that: Five-Star Backyards. Spaces people actually love to be in. And a ragtag team of beaver bandits willing to risk it all to build one, too.

The result was a single campaign that spoke to two completely different audiences without every losing the plot. 

Recognition

Graphis Advertising Awards

Platinum (“Save the Heist”)

Graphis Advertising Awards

Platinum (“Roasting Mashmallows”)

Graphis Advertising Awards

Gold (“Bocce”)

The Goal

YellaWood® needed to bridge the gap between commodity product and an emotional purchase decision—for two very different audiences at the same time.

  • Brand Trust

    Push contractors to specify and trust YellaWood® over competing brands 

  • Consumer Pull

    Motivate consumer to seek out YellaWood® by name rather than defaulting to another brand 

  • Category Leadership

    Establish YellaWood® as the definitive brand of pressure-treated pine 


The Challenge

The answer had to work for two audiences simultaneously without watering down the messages for either. Contractors need a reason to specify YellaWood® on the job. Consumers needed a reason to ask for it by name at the point of purchase.

That’s a rare creative ask. One campaign. One idea. Two completely different motivations to move.


The Solution

Two beavers hanging on a billboard taking a wood star off the billboard with a two by four with a tag that says Yellawood pressure treated pine. Five beavers stealing a fifth wood star on a billboard that says, For Five-Star Backyards. With a two by four with a tag that says Yellawood pressure treated pine

The insight was simple but powerful—both audiences cared more about what lumber builds than the lumber itself. “Five-Start Backyards” gave YellaWood® a platform that contractors and consumer could rally around.

  • Five-Star Backyards

    A single positioning that bridged B2B and B2C audiences 

  • Beavers

    Award-winning, category-defining, impossible to forget

  • TV & OOH

    Anchored and established the campaign

  • Social & Print

    Extended the idea across every touchpoint

The idea came to life across TV, OOH, social, and print—anchored by one of the most memorable creative devices in the category: a ragtag team of beaver bandits pursuing their own Five-Star Backyard, willing to risk it all to get their paws on YellaWood®.

  • #1 brand

    of pressure treated pine

Two Beavers looking inside of glass doors
Two Beavers looking inside of glass doors
Two separate pictures of a beaver repelling from the ceiling of a store

The Proof

  • #1

    Top performer against competitors in all branding metrics

  • 16 Point

    Purchase intent lift

  • 37 Point

    Awareness lift


We have been so pleased with the work Brunner has done for us over the course of our relationship. They not only created an amazing campaign with The Woodlands Most Wanted, but their integrated approach has helped us grow and meet impressive sales goals. We are so thankful for their diligence and enthusiasm throughout the duration of this campaign.

Rob Pongonis

CMO

The Home Depot Rental

The Home Depot Rental: One Stop Shop. Record-Setting Results.

The Home Depot Rental: One Stop Shop. Record-Setting Results.

  • 100%+

    YoY clicks and page interactions

  • 16

    Years together

  • Y/Y

    Record-setting rental transactions

At a Glance

Client
The Home Depot Rental
Audiences
Pro Contractors and DIY Consumers
Approach
Audience-First, Full-Funnel
Client Relationship
16 Years

Overview

Research led us to understand that each of the audiences had unique needs and motivators.

The Home Depot is one of the most recognized brands in America. But The Home Depot Rental? That was a different story and a real opportunity.

The audience was split: professional contractors with job-critical needs and DIY consumers with project-driven motivations. Same brand, but two completely different conversations.

So we built and audience-first strategy that spoke to each group in their own language, on their own timeline. From the moment they started planning to the moment they need the right tool, truck or large equipment in their hands. 

The Goal

The Home Depot Rental needed to move customers from unawareness to action — across two very different audience, each with their own reasons to rent.

  • Awareness

    Build recognition and the “One Stop Shot” value proposition.

  • Conversion

    Drive customers through the full funnel from awareness to rental transactions. 


The Challenge

The Home Depot’s brand recognition didn’t extend to its rental business. Awareness of The Home Depot Rental and what it actually offered was low, even among the contractors and DIYers who needed its services the most. A single message couldn’t fix that.

Pro contractors and DIY consumers shop different, think differently, and need different reasons to act. The strategy had to speak to both, without losing the clarity of a single, unified value proposition.


The Solution

A skidsteer digging dirt in a yard with a home depot rental truck with an auger leaning against it. A Home Depot rental truck with a trailer and wood chipper with a chainsaw A person jack hammering concrete and an excavator scooping up the concrete and putting it into a trailer

One value proposition. Two audiences. A strategy built to reach both on their terms and timelines.

  • One Stop Shop

    A master value proposition anchored every message. 

  • Audience-First

    Unique language and visuals tailored to Pros and DIYers.

  • Planning Season

    Inspirational messaging met customers at the start of their project or job.

  • Doing Season

    Solution-focused messaging pushed for conversion when customers were ready to act.

The strategy came to life across OOH, TV and social media. Each channel, message, and moment were built to move the right audience on step closer to action.

The Home Depot Rental

The Home Depot Rental


The Proof

  • 100%+

    YoY clicks and page interactions

  • 3%

    YoY brand sentiment increase

  • Y/Y

    Record-setting rental transaction among professional contractors

The audience-first approach delivered. The Home Depot Rental didn’t just grow, it hit record-setting weeks in rental transactions and saw year-over-year revenue growth across the entire rental business. 


We have what you have termed a ‘retail metabolism’ and your team has measured up to that in every way. Nimble. Quick. Preemptive. The reporting is what we base everything on and we match that up to our numbers on the sales side.

The Home Depot Rental Client

Church’s & Harry Mack

Church’s Texas Chicken & Harry Mack: Real Deals. Real Results.

While competitors watched sales slide, Church's turned a meal deal into a cultural moment. And gave fans something no value menu has ever offered before.

  • 9.6M

    Total video views

  • 95%

    Positive sentiment

  • 70.2K

    Engagements

At a Glance

Client
Church’s Texas Chicken
Campaign
Real Deals with Harry Mack
Languages
English & Spanish
Featured
Ad Age’s 13 Creative Campaigns to Know About Today

Overview

We set out to remind people that Church's isn't just where you go to feed your hunger — it's where you go to feel seen, celebrated, and straight-up entertained.

Church’s Real Deals menu offered something genuinely worth talking about — 2 items starting at $4. But the opportunity was bigger than the price point.
 
Church’s audience is the real deal. Hard-working families from diverse communities who know the value of a dollar and know when something’s authentic. They didn’t need another coupon. They needed a reason to feel seen.
 
So we gave them one. And we brought Harry Mack to do it.

Recognition

Graphis Advertising Awards

Gold (“Church’s Texas Chicken Real Deals”)

AdAge

13 Creative Campaigns to Know About Today

The Goal

Church’s came in with a value story worth telling and an audience worth celebrating. The goal was to make the Real Deals menu feel like more than a promotion, and to deepen the brand’s connection with the diverse, community-rooted customers who show up for Church’s every day.

  • Value with Soul

    Elevate the Real Deals menu beyond a price point into an only-at-Church's experience

  • Cultural Connection

    Deepen authentic relationships with White, Black, and Latino communities within Church's footprint

  • Earned Attention

    Generate content worth sharing, spreading, and remembering long after the campaign ended 


The Challenge

The fast-food category is cluttered with deal campaigns that look and sound exactly alike. Breaking through required something that couldn’t be replicated, scripted, or faked.

The audience Church's serves has seen every version of the value meal pitch. They're savvy, they're community-connected, and they can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. The work had to earn their attention on their terms.

The Solution

We collaborated with Harry Mack — the viral freestyle sensation known for jaw-dropping, off-the-dome rhymes that feel personal, joyful, and alive. Then we handed him the most unexpected stage of his career: a Church’s location wired with 13 hidden cameras and filled with real, unsuspecting customers.

Using actual orders as his inspiration, Harry delivered custom freestyles that stopped people mid-bite. Strangers became fans. Chicken cravings turned into concerts. The laughter, the double takes, the joy — all of it real, all of it captured, none of it staged.

  • Harry Mack

    A viral freestyle artist whose authentic joy made him the perfect cultural collaborator for this audience

  • 13 Hidden Cameras

    Authentic storytelling rooted in the real family moments Church’s is part of every day

  • 3 Hero Videos

    Brought the experience to audiences beyond the restaurant

Harry Mack sitting at booth in Church's Taxas Chicken

The experience traveled beyond the counter through an integrated campaign built for paid media and social — three freestyle-driven hero videos, behind-the-scenes moments, a full-length freestyle, a sit-down interview, and exclusive content that brought fans closer to both the artist and the brand.

  • Ad Age

    Featured in “13 Creative Campaigns to Know About Today”

Behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and exclusive moments kept the story alive well past launch.

The Proof

  • 9.6M

    Total video views

  • 95%

    Positive sentiment

  • 70.2K

    Engagements

While other brands in the category saw sales declines of up to 5.3% in 2024, Church’s kept trending upward. The Harry Mack campaign earned attention at a scale that put Church’s in a category of its own.


Brunner didn't just innovate our messaging — they helped us see our own audience more clearly. The results speak for themselves.

Church's Texas Chicken

LaRosa’s Case Study

Feed the Moment with LaRosa’s

Real meals. Real connection. Real lift. 

  • 3.65M

    Impressions

  • +33%

    QoQ paid social engagement rate

  • 36%

    Above baseline CTV quality index score

At a Glance

Client
LaRosa’s
Engagement
Creative, Paid Social, OOH
Focus
Boosting purchases through connection

Overview

This made LaRosa's feel like more than just a place to eat. It became a shortcut to quality time.

LaRosa’s came to the market with a simple truth: people aren’t just choosing dinner. They’re choosing how to spend a moment with the people who matter most.  

Shaping this idea into a connected campaign put LaRosa’s at the center of those everyday decisions. The result wasn’t a lucky spike. It was a clear connection between the message, the audience, and the moments that shape choice. 

The Goal

LaRosa’s wanted a cross-channel campaign that would highlight the value of quality time spent around a meal, and LaRosa’s as the place to go for that, deepening brand connection, and driving additional purchases.


The Challenge

The brand had to stand out in a crowded dining market while reaching and resonating with modern, active customers who are time-starved, budget-conscious, and craving more than just a meal. 


The Solution

We built a campaign rooted in emotional insight and audience truth, speaking to busy parents making dinner calls, while still landing with younger audiences who care about flavor, convenience, and being together.

We positioned LaRosa’s around the idea of “feeding the moment,” and built creative around the idea that food can make time with family and friends feel easier and more meaningful. The cross-channel execution carried that message across point-of-sale, TV, social, OOH, and promotional materials, so the brand showed up at the point of decision with one connected story.

The result was a brand campaign that helped LaRosa’s show up with more meaning and more momentum — and audiences connected to it.  


The Proof

Not only did we see increased impressions, quality score and Paid Social engagement rates, but LaRosa’s 2025 brand health metrics also showed LaRosa’s is the #1 pizzeria amongst competitors in brand relevancy.

  • #1 Pizzeria

    amongst competitors in brand relevancy

LaRosa’s continued to score high in taste, quality, and satisfaction, showing the campaign strengthened consumer connection in a way that was measurable and explainable.

THDR Case Study

Search Data Shaped DIY Content 

Reading homeowner search behavior as one system turned timing into a content strategy. 

  • 35

    Product priorities identified from search behavior

At a Glance

Client
The Home Depot Rental
Engagement
Content Strategy, SEO, SEM
Focus
Align content timing and priorities with DIY homeowner search behavior

Overview

Knowing what homeowners wanted wasn’t enough — we needed to know when they wanted it.  

The Home Depot Rental needed a sharper read on DIY homeowner behavior so its content could meet people at the right moment, with the right message.  

Knowing what homeowners wanted wasn’t enough — we needed to know when they wanted it.  

We connected content marketing, SEO, and SEM to read search behavior as one system instead of three disconnected data sets. 

The Proof

We identified 35 product priorities based on search behavior and opportunity, and 24 DIY projects based on trends and homeowner search behavior, then turned those into content that could support the brand throughout the year.

  • 24

    DIY projects identified

  • 1

    User-centric content strategy


The Goal

The Home Depot Rental wanted a content strategy grounded in real homeowner search behavior rather than assumptions. 

  • Timing

    Understand when DIY homeowners plan vs. when they start projects

  • Trends

    Spot trending DIY projects and the moments search interest peaks

A person looking on a mobile phone

The Challenge

The challenge was timing. The Home Depot Rental needed to know not just what DIY audiences cared about, but when they cared about it. Without that, content could miss the planning window, the project window, or both. The team also needed a way to turn search trends into something usable across content, PR, influencer, and web efforts. 


The Solution

Our content marketing, SEO, and SEM teams worked together to read homeowner search behavior from the same system. We reviewed impression volume for the brand’s tools and equipment using SEM data to define product priorities.

A person typing on a laptop

Then we layered in Pinterest Trends, Google Trends, and SEO keywords to identify trending DIY projects, spot search spikes, and find the right moments for campaign flighting. That connected view gave The Home Depot Rental a content strategy grounded in proof, not guesswork. 

A person looking on a mobile phone

We created one content strategy that fed integrated marketing efforts across PR, influencer, and website work, plus one annual content production calendar to map cross-channel topics and efforts across the year.

IONOS Case Study

Global Brand Leader Takes on the Goliath U.S. Market 

1&1 IONOS, the largest website hosting company in Europe, was keen to break into the highly competitive U.S. market. Targeted digital campaigns helped them do it.

  • 7%

    Customer inflow YoY

At a Glance

Client
IONOS
Engagement
Creative Concepting, Video Production, Content Creation
Campaign
Your Host Matters
Focus
New partner sign ups
Duration
Two Months
Client
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta

Overview

A lousy hotel, a lame party, or a silent dinner have one thing in common, bad hosts. 

We needed to show what a good host IONOS was, how attentive and secure, and we needed to do it at a local level.   Concentrated campaigns focusing on the core Your Host Matters platform hit the right audiences. That’s not accidental, that’s work that compounds.

The Goal

Thousands of Partner Program sign-ups and new orders in under two months. New creative content, tailored to local markets needed to be created quickly. 


The Challenge

IONOS was a newer entry into the crowded US web hosting market filled with competitors that outspend them by hundreds of millions of dollars. They had limited time to get up to speed and enter the market.


The Solution

Consumer reviews revealed an opportunity to focus on their uniquely human approach to customer service ― a personal consultant for every customer free of charge.

We created the platform Your Host Matters. A good host provides personal attention, security, and respect.  The same is true for your website.

We reflected this core message in a range of market-specific digital messages.

But we needed to go deep to turn awareness into conversion. We tapped into two often overlooked audiences – Female Developers and Minority-owned Small Businesses through partnerships with Women Who Code and Small Business Expo.


The Proof

Strong audience insight led to rapid growth, including the highest social media engagement in IONOS global history. 

+28%
Customer inflow in first month

Dairyland Website Case Study

Composable CMS Powers Dairyland Relaunch

Dairyland needed a full website revamp to match a tough non-standard auto insurance market. We designed them a faster site, rooted in strategy and built for growth. 

  • 35%

    YoY conversion growth

At a Glance

Client
Dairyland Insurance
Engagement
UX & Web Design, Web Development, Content Strategy, SEO
Project
Website Redesign
Focus
Improve speed, ease of use, and content education

Overview

In a category where every second matters, the old site needed more than a visual refresh. It needed a new system. 

Dairyland came to us with a clear need: rebuild the website around speed, content, and a better user experience.  

We started with the truth in the market, connected strategy, content, UX, and technical architecture into one plan, and gave Dairyland a stronger foundation for growth. 

The Proof

The redesigned site launched on time and on budget, driving a 35% growth in YoY conversions. That momentum led to additional projects with their parent company, Sentry, in B2B insurance. Clear architecture. Measurable lift. Repeatable value. 

  • On Time

    Launch timing

  • On Budget

    Budget Status


The Goal

Dairyland wanted a complete website revamp that would improve speed, content delivery, user experience, and brand presentation in a competitive insurance category. 


The Challenge

The new website had to perform in the high-pressure, non-standard auto-insurance space, where speed and content delivery matter. Dairyland also needed the work to cover content, technical architecture, UX, and branding at once, without losing momentum or control.

A close up of two people driving in a car. One driver and one passenger

The Solution

We started with strategy, completing competitive, content, SEO, and UX audits, then worked with Dairyland’s marketing and IT teams to design a composable architecture and built the site using Contentful CMS, a static site generator, and the Uniform content editor. We shaped the content model around SEO, tuned the experience around usability, and built a flexible system that could support the new site and future work.

IUP Website Case Study

Content Inspires & Informs Future Students

SEO and program copy built for student search.

  • 81%

    YoY increase in goal completions

  • 41%

    Increase in session duration

  • 53%

    Decrease in bounce rate

At a Glance

Client
IUP
Engagement
UX & Web Design, Content Strategy, Content Creation, SEO
Project
Website Redesign
Focus
Informative, easy-to-use website for prospective students

Overview

Indiana University of Pennsylvania had a content problem. They had too much of it, it was poorly organized, and it came from a professor’s point of view — not what prospective students and their parents were looking for. 

They needed a new website that would give clear, engaging academic program copy, and help those pages show up in search. 

The Goal

IUP wanted a website that made it easy for prospective students to discover learn about their programs. It needed to be on their level and perform better in search engines like Google and Bing.

  • Clarity

    Similar program names, inconsistent page structures, upper-level jargon and a confusing site architecture made it hard to find the right information. 

  • Findability

    IUP wasn't showing up for Organic searches for priority programs potential students were looking for.


The Challenge

The university had to turn 150+ academic programs into compelling web content during a relaunch, while keeping the writing accurate, searchable, and aligned with input from multiple departments and faculty members.

A picture of the IUP Campus

The Solution

We analyzed web traffic and user experience to redesign the site navigation and web page templates to focus on prospective students while leaving room for academic input and improving way-finding for site users.

Working with the IUP team, SEO research shaped program titles, keywords and metadata, and a nine-writer, four-editor content team worked with stakeholders to get everything right before launch. That connected process kept the content useful for people and legible for search, giving IUP a stronger content foundation for discovery and engagement, not just prettier pages. 


The Proof

Across academic program pages, SEO findability improved and it led to new site sessions.

  • 71/109

    Pages saw initial keyword ranking increases

  • 41

    Pages began ranking when they hadn't before

+33%
YoY increase user sessions
+63%
YoY increase in new users

But it wasn’t just more traffic — the users finding the site were more engaged, staying longer and completing more critical site actions. 

Rinnai Case Study

Tankless Truths Built. Myths Busted Across Channels.

Rinnai needed to cut through stubborn myths about tankless water heaters that were impacting adoption among plumbing professionals. Influencer activations put trusted voices behind tankless truths, educating pros and driving awareness.

  • 6M

    Combined impressions

  • +225%

    Over eblast video start goal

  • 20k

    Landing page views

At a Glance

Client
Rinnai America Corporation
Engagement
Influencer, PR, Traditional Media, Paid Social, SEO, Content Strategy
Channels
Trade Publications, YouTube, Instagram, Website 
Audiences
Industry Experts, Plumbing Contractors, Plumbers, Plumbing Engineers
Focus
Education campaign busting tankless water heater myths

Overview

Media relations, influencer thought leadership and trade partnerships, worked as one system to earn confidence.  

Rinnai needed to prove to pros that tankless water heaters were worth consideration despite long held industry myths.

We built an influencer campaign around education, not flash, so the audience could hear trusted voices explain the real story behind tankless water heaters — and not fall for the myths.

The Goal

Increase quality coverage for Rinnai products, and build awareness and consideration among plumbing professionals by giving them a clearer, more accurate picture of what tankless water heaters can do. 

  • Coverage & Credibility

    Strengthen Rinnai's visibility with industry experts through education-based communications, trade activations and earned editorial presence.

  • Pro Audience Consideration 

    Reach plumbers, contractors, and plumbing engineers with the kind of proof that changes how they think about the brand and the product.


The Challenge

Misconceptions about tankless water heaters were stalling consideration among contractors in the US.

Rinnai needed to connect with plumbers, contractors, and plumbing engineers in a crowded category where those myths could slow understanding and buy-in. The work had to reach a niche audience efficiently and hold attention long enough to change how people thought about the brand. 

Rinnai Tankless water heater
Rinnai Tankless water heater

The Solution

We developed the Tankless Truths campaign, where we partnered with four well-known influencers in the pro-contractor and plumber space to create educational, testimonial videos that tackled common myths about tankless water heaters. We then built an educational content-driven public relations program through the website, YouTube and Instagram that did more than chase mentions. It gave the market a reason to pay attention.

Using second-party data from key trade publications to target the selected regions and distribute the testimonial video, we paired our audience architecture with co-branded eBlasts and personalized copy and creative, to increase resonance.

Targeted outreach and content built to explain the category and correct misconceptions created continuity across every channel, connecting media relations, thought leadership, trade association partnerships, and trade events. 


The Proof

Rinnai came away with 70 assets it owns or licenses for use across different media channels. Contractor skepticism in cold-weather markets gave way to engagement that beat every goal. The message didn’t just reach the right people, it moved them from skepticism to action. 

  • 24

    Earned stories

  • +113%

    Over eblast open rate goal

  • +50%

    Over eblast CTR goal

  • 950k

    Combined video views

  • $0.18

    Cost per view

Wesbanco Content Strategy Case Study

Audience-Based Content Strategy Reached New Customers

Audience research, grounded in real life experiences, shaped banking content that mattered to people.

  • 3

    new target audience segmentations

At a Glance

Client
WesBanco
Engagement
Research, Content Strategy
Audiences
Gen Z & Millenials
Focus
Reaching younger adults at the moments that matter most

Overview

We studied Gen Z and millennial banking behavior, identified the life stages and events that mattered most, and used search behavior to set content priorities.

WesBanco wanted a smarter way to speak to people entering new stages of adulthood and making high-stakes money moves. We built the content strategy around real research, not assumptions. 
 
That connected view shaped communications planning, targeting, channel choices, flighting, sequencing, and brand messaging.  

The work gave WesBanco a practical system for showing up when its audience needed financial guidance most with content rooted in the truth of what people were already looking for. 

The Proof

The content and brand marketing framework informed communications planning, targeting recommendations, and channel recommendations. It also identified three target audience segmentations based on research and opportunity, a life event content production calendar for the year, and videos, social posts, blog posts, and landing pages. 

  • 1

    Year lift event content calendar

  • 38

    Content topics developed


The Goal

WesBanco wanted to prioritize its marketing around people in early adulthood who needed guidance for major life events, while building a clearer content and brand strategy for the bank. They needed a platform they could build from that would support their goals and their customers’ goals over time.


The Challenge

The bank’s customer base was getting older and they wanted to expand and stay relevant. Gen Z and Millennial audiences had different life experiences and banking needs than the bank’s existing Gen X and Baby Boomer customers.

WesBanco needed to understand which life moments to prioritize, how they may differ for these new generations, and how to turn that into a content plan informed by search behavior and business priorities. 

  • New Audience

    WesBanco wanted to expand to a younger audience, but they needed to know what mattered to them first. 

  • Endurance

    The content needed to be relevant and evergreen ― not a flash in the pan, but something that would drive continued growth. 


The Solution

  1. Third-party Research

    Conducted third-party research on Gen Z and millennials in banking to understand what their goals and pain points were, and what banking features they looked for.

  2. Life Stages

    Defined and ranked the life stages and events most relevant to these audiences and where and how they overlapped with WesBanco products and business priorities.  

  3. Search Behavior

    Used online search behavior to shape content priorities and inform campaign messaging, channel selection, flighting, sequencing, and planning.  

  4. Audience Segmentations

    Developed a structured set of audience segmentations and a yearlong content calendar the team could build from, which included the initial 38 content topics brought to life across multiple formats.