A full-funnel campaign focuses on a dark alter ego for the easy button that leads to workplace conundrums like misprinted store signs.

Staples is iterating on its easy button brand platform — again — as the office supplies retailer tries to better spotlight its enterprise-level services and celebrates 40 years in operation.

Juxtaposed to the iconic red button that solves problems with a simple push is a black hard button alter ego that leads to unfortunate mishaps in a new campaign. A pair of ads debuting this week show managers faced with conundrums, like running out of restroom supplies or embarrassing printing errors on a store sign (i.e. “Golf Sharts” instead of “Shirts”), that humorously contrast hard outcomes with the simplicity of working with Staples.

The spots will run on major streaming services, including YouTube, Hulu and Netflix, while shorter versions of the creative will appear on social platforms like LinkedIn and Meta. The larger media plan is wide-ranging, Staples Chief Marketing Officer Bob Sherwin explained, encompassing out-of-home billboards in busy travel hubs, digital signage and elevator well placements in high-traffic corporate buildings, mid-funnel display and social advertising and “Hard vs. Easy” collateral for Staples’ sales teams.

While business decision-makers and frontline workers are the target audiences of the campaign, Sherwin anticipates crossover appeal with consumers who might be interested in Staples offerings like its celebration solutions for hosting parties or custom printing options that were a hit during the last holiday season.

“It's a platform more than just a campaign, in that we can actually tell many, many of our workplace solution stories through the same storyline construct,” said Sherwin, who joined Staples as CMO in June of last year.

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