by THOMASVILLE, N.C. — It’s been said that the best journeys take you home, and no one believes that more than Phil Haney, president and CEO of Lexington Home Brands, a leading manufacturer and marketer of upscale home furnishings, based here.
In fact, that theme is at the heart of the company’s newest commercial messaging — an upscale 60-second spot featuring original music and lyrics written and performed by Grammy Award-winning artist Steve Tyrell, who recorded the track exclusively for Lexington Home Brands.
Discussing the thought behind the new spot, Haney said, “For affluent consumers, 2023 has been a year of historical levels of travel and experiences,” adding, “so we wanted our commercial to celebrate that travel, those wonderful experiences and, of course, the joy of coming home to a fashionable and luxurious home.”
To that point, the commercial opens with engaging soft jazz music, images of a beautiful, upscale home filled with Lexington’s furniture and Steve Tyrell singing, “Well, it’s so lovely to come back home … a cozy fireplace, the two of us alone.”
The viewers see captivating scenes of snow-capped mountains, opulent swimming pools and people skiing while the voice-over reminds them that, “no matter where travel takes them, no matter the adventures they discover, no matter the wonder they behold, there is simply nothing like coming home.”
“While there’s an abundance of statistics to support the growing importance of the home, there is an equally important emotional component to the purchase of home furnishings, and that’s the purpose of this new commercial — to reinforce the fact that as wonderful as travel and vacations may be, at the end of the day, there truly is nothing like coming home to a beautiful and welcoming home,” Haney said.
Noting that Lexington’s six brands resonate with a customer base made up of consumers generally 45 years and older, with household incomes exceeding $200,000, Haney said that this group thankfully weathered the pandemic extremely well.
He added, “In fact, many found benefit in the work-from-home dynamic because they had the technology and financial means to do so. Many ended up with secondary residences, and the important takeaway for our business is that it significantly and permanently elevated the importance of home as both a respite and workplace,” Haney confirmed.
Commenting on the next tier of consumers, Haney noted that, while also financially solid, this group is opting to stay in their existing homes and remodel as a result of significantly higher real estate prices and rising interest rates.
The renewed focus on the home was also confirmed by a recent survey of home renovation and spend conducted by Houzz. That 2022 study confirmed that 55% of the 68,000 homeowners polled indicated plans to renovate. Almost half of those polled (46%) planned to redecorate, and the group’s planned spend is 50% more than the median for the last three years the poll was conducted.
In discussing the primary drivers of a purchase decision, Haney listed product design as the key driver followed by quality craftsmanship, the manufacturer’s brand, the presentation at retail and, lastly, the price point.
“The people that buy our home furnishings are motivated by inspiration, aspiration, emotion and experiences, which is the reason we opted to produce this commercial as a 60-second spot. We needed that time to tell our story and augment it with those beautiful images and wonderful music,” Haney said.
Reaction from retailers has been overwhelmingly positive and to date, about 18 of Lexington’s major retail customers, including Furnitureland South, plan to use it.
In addition, the commercial will be aired on television, incorporated into the company’s digital marketing and social media platforms.
If a picture truly is worth 1,000 words, click here to see Lexington’s commercial. It speaks volumes.
