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

5 bushes with a beaver hiding under one with text that says, Good Things Come To Those Who Lie In Wait.
Seven Beavers unloading pressure treated lumber from an eighteen wheeler with a flat bed. With text that says, Everyone with or without Fur is Seeking out the Best
Two Beavers carrying a piece of pressure treated lumber with a beaver laying on top. With text that says, Some Reclaimed Wood is Fresh Off The Pallet.

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

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.

Pepperoni pizza - Give Any Meal Friday Night Feels
Plate of spaghetti - Sunday Dinner Vibes. Daily
Pizza Rolls - Reconnect with Friends and Favorites

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.

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

Bruster’s Media Case Study

Efficiencies Driven Through Unified Media & Data Intelligence 

Consolidating their corporate and franchise-level marketing to one primary agency, with one data view, gave Bruster’s better insights and saved them money on agency fees. 

  • 60%

    Lower annual social retainer

At a Glance

Client
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Engagement
Media, Data Intelligence
Focus
Unifying fragmented vendor support & siloed data

Overview

The result was a more efficient, transparent, and performance-driven operating model for both corporate and franchise-level marketing. 

Multiple agencies, disconnected data streams, and limited visibility into performance across its BOSS system was impacting Bruster’s bottom line. 

Rather than recommending a costly third-party CDP, we unified the brand’s data internally, consolidated marketing responsibilities under one agency, and created a scalable structure for localized franchisee investment.  

The result was a more efficient, transparent, and performance-driven operating model for both corporate and franchise-level marketing. 

The Proof

Unifying key data into the BOSS ecosystem improved corporate visibility and franchisee transparency.

Consolidating services under a single retainer reduced Bruster’s media management fees by 8% and lowered the annual social retainer by 60%. Additional cost savings were driven by avoiding the planned CDP investment, removing redundant data providers.

  • 8%

    Lower media management fees

  • 60%

    Lower annual social retainer

  • 2

    Redundant data vendors removed

The Goal

Unify fragmented marketing operations, unlock first-party data without buying a CDP, and create a scalable way for franchisees to invest locally. 

The Challenge

Split agency ownership was driving up retainer costs and resulting in inconsistent brand execution, siloed customer data, limited POS and revenue visibility, redundant vendors, and a manual process for coordinating local franchisee media buys. 

The Solution

We supported Bruster’s Real Ice Cream with a consolidated marketing and data strategy designed to simplify a fragmented franchise environment.

Front of a Bruster's Ice Cream store with the Bruster's sign and there is two cherries between the U and the S

Brunner built a centralized data warehouse that combined POS transactions, credit card sales, performance data, and audience data, standardized tracking, and enriched customer profiles. With better insight into performance, we could see where they needed help. When we unified paid media, social, community management, PR, SEO, and web development under one plan and one agency, Bruster’s was able to eliminate higher vendor costs and reallocate marketing budget. 

A person holding a three scoop ice cream cone outside of a Bruster's Ice Cream store

We also migrated franchisees to Sprout Social for better transparency and easier daily management, and introduced a ‘White Glove Service’ model for those seeking additional local support and spend.

Home Improvement Retailer Case Study

GEO Test Proved Paid Search ROI 

A statistically clean test turned a hunch about nonbranded search into a defendable growth case. 

  • 100+

    Stores tested in a statistically valid geo experiment

At a Glance

Client
Large home improvement retailer
Engagement
Paid Search, Marketing Mix Modeling
Project
Geo Testing
Focus
Prove incremental ROI of nonbranded paid search before reallocating spend 

Overview

Platform metrics looked promising, but promising isn’t proof.  

A large home improvement retailer needed a defendable way to measure the return on nonbranded search investment before changing channel allocation.  

We treated data and creative as one system of proof, not separate workstreams, and built a geo test designed to hold up under scrutiny. 

The Proof

The test measured a consistent, statistically significant sales lift from nonbranded search. Results stayed aligned with industry norms and validated the channel across markets. The region saw over 2 percentage points of growth in total revenue. 

  • Over 2 Percentage Points

    Revenue growth across region

  • Statistically Significant

    Result validity

The Goal

Measure the true incremental impact of nonbranded paid search before the retailer committed to a bigger channel shift. 

The Challenge

Platform metrics and informal pre- and post-reads suggested the channel was working, but the client needed a comprehensive ROI measurement they could trust. The test design also had to account for shoppers who visit multiple stores and for real market differences across a large region. 

A person shopping in a home improvement store

The Solution

We designed a geo test across a region with more than 100 stores. We segmented stores using historical sales patterns and trade area signals like local demographics, weather, and macroeconomic factors, then matched each store with a statistical twin to create a clean control set. That architecture gave the client an apples-to-apples read on performance and made the result explainable. 

A person shopping for a weedwacker

Infosys AdSkate Case Study

Three Key Objects Behind INFOSYS’ CTR lift

Our AdSkate AI pinpointed the image elements and CTAs driving results and recommended optimizations to enhance performance. 

  • 17%

    Savings in campaign spend

At a Glance

Client
Infosys
Engagement
Display Campaign Creative Analysis
Intelligence
AdSkate — AI creative intelligence platform
Duration
1 Month
Creative Analyzed
10 creatives, 41 unique attributes identified

Overview

Infosys wanted data-driven truth about what made its display campaign work ― which signals moved results and which ones didn’t. 

We put AdSkate to work reading the creative and the campaign together, then mapped performance back to the objects, messages, and calls to action inside the ads.  

The payoff was a more defendable way to understand creative performance and make the next round smarter.

The Proof

When campaign creative contained certain objects, it performed better overall. By reflecting these objects alongside top performing CTAs, Infosys achieved 17% savings in ad spend with AdSkate optimizations.

  • +47%

    Click lift from ‘Learn More’ CTA

  • +48%

    CPC improvement from ‘drone,’ ‘package,’ ‘sky’ objects

  • +17%

    CTR lift from targeting key objects ‘data center,’ ‘computer,’ ‘keyboard’

The Goal

Infosys wanted data-driven insights from AdSkate, our AI creative intelligence platform, to assess how its display campaign assets were performing. 

  • Actionable Signals

    Map performance back to specific objects and message elements to give the next round of creative a clearer foundation.

The Challenge

The campaign needed a clearer read on which creative attributes were actually influencing performance across the ads. 

A person running on a track

The Solution

We used AdSkate to analyze 10 Infosys’ ad creatives and campaign data, evaluating creative attributes and parameters, then tying performance back to specific objects and message elements. It identified 41 creative attributes over a 1-month campaign and determined top performers:

  • Incorporating the AI-detected objects ‘data center’, ‘computer’, and ‘keyboard’ boosted CTR by 17%.
  • The ‘Learn More’ call to action increased clicks by 47%.  
  • Featuring the AI-detected objects ‘drone’, ‘package’, and ‘sky’ improved CPC by 48%.  

  

an Image of a soccer goal with a text field saying, your shot

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.

METUS SEM Case Study

Machine Learning Scaled HVAC Leads 

Broad match had to earn its place in the media plan before it earned a national rollout. 

  • 2x

    Increase in click-to-lead conversion rate

At a Glance

Client
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Engagement
Paid Search (SEM)
Focus
Improve non-brand lead generation efficiency

Overview

We treated it like a question worth proving, not a claim worth believing. 

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US needed a smarter way to grow residential lead generation without wasting spend.  

Google had just updated broad match, but a promise of more reach wasn’t reason enough to trust it.  

We treated it like a question worth proving, not a claim worth believing. 

The Proof

We validated the approach across four regions before national rollout, making the result explainable and repeatable rather than accidental. The tests also clarified channel behavior: broad match scaled for non-brand search, while exact and phrase match stayed more efficient for brand search. 

  • 29%

    More efficient lead generation

  • 4

    Regions tested before national rollout

The Goal

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US wanted a more efficient path to lead generation that could support sales goals and its contractor network. 

  • Discovery

    Find new customers earlier in their research stage

  • Efficiency

    Make non-brand lead generation more efficient

The Challenge

The team needed to support sales goals and contractor demand with better lead efficiency. Google’s broad match promised more reach and relevance, but it had to prove it could outperform legacy campaigns in the real world, not just in theory. 

The Solution

We built a regional testing plan for non-brand search keywords using Google’s improved broad match. After strong results in two regions, we ran a second test in two more regions to confirm the pattern and test scalability.

A person typing on a laptop

Once the tests reached statistical significance, broad match rolled out nationally across non-brand campaigns. We also separated the brand search finding clearly: exact and phrase match remained the more efficient choices there. 

METUS SEO Case Study

SEO Lift For MITSUBISHI Electric Trane

Technical fixes and content strategy worked as one system to move search performance. 

  • +29%

    YoY lift in organic search traffic

At a Glance

Client
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS)
Engagement
SEO
Focus
Increase organic visibility for high-value, transaction-focused keywords

Overview

We treated technical SEO and content SEO as one connected system, because that’s how search actually works.

Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) already had solid organic visibility. But the site’s own code was holding it back. JavaScript barriers kept search engines from fully reading key product pages, capping how far that visibility could grow.

The Proof

Removing technical barriers and strengthening content signals moved the needle across the board. Over time, that showed up in the numbers: 

  • +51%

    Increase in non-branded search visits from high-value terms

  • +29%

    YoY lift in top 10 keyword rankings

  • +24%

    YoY lift in top 3 keyword rankings

That’s what happens when technical access and content signals work from the same plan. 

The Goal

METUS wanted to win more share of voice for high-value, transaction-focused searches, while also reaching prospects earlier in their journey. 

  • Visibility

    Increase organic visibility for high-value, transaction-focused keywords

  • Reach

    Expand to connect with prospects earlier in their consideration

The Challenge

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.

Person typing on a keyboard with a search field overlayed

Search engines also had trouble discovering and parsing some product-page content because of JavaScript roadblocks, which limited how fully the site could show up in search. We needed technical access and stronger content signals working together — not as separate fixes.

The Solution

We built a connected system across technical SEO, internal linking, and content: 

  1. Technical SEO

    Worked with METUS developers to remove JavaScript barriers so crawlers could find and read product-page content on mitsubishicomfort.com. 

  2. Internal Linking

    Strengthened the site’s internal linking so Google could better discover, index, and understand the full page set. 

  3. Content & Metadata

    Refined metadata, webpage elements, and site copy with the METUS marketing team to improve priority pages for valuable search terms across informational and product-focused content. 

One connected system, built for search visibility, and the numbers that followed weren’t luck. They were structure.