World´s Toughest Fix

How do you launch a completely new brand to the category and make it credible? Especially if you do not have unlimited budgets. Visibility on the product shelf is reserved for known brands, but how you can get the level of familiarity if you are completely new brand?

Superior product is not enough, but how to differentiate it in rather dull and price-driven category?

As competition could not be outspend with media money, it needed to be outsmarted.

The break through was branding. What about using a term that everyone knows in another context as the name of the brand?

Name & trademark “WTF”was registered globally in adhesives category.

WTF-World´s Toughest Fix was the brand promise and all the activities were designed to strengthen that promise in all the touch points. The adhesive category has not really seen a brand like this.

Before WTF, all the brands were really product and function driven. They were boring and forgettable. Whilst WTF did not skimp on effectivity, the brand was built around lifestyle and distinctive design.

Popular culture and influencers were utilized in communications. Packaging and design was completely different from the competition. Most importantly this was done with confident humor and unique tone-of-voice. Every brand activity was aimed to build fame even beyond category buyers.

It was stocked in all the major hardware stores in Finland, with prominent in-store visibility. It became the most popular adhesive brand in the portfolio, despite a higher price point.

WTF was able to secure a distribution agreement with Lowe's hardware chain in theUSA (no.2 in the world).

Music video and influencer collaborations amassed way over 3M listens, whilst overall campaign got over 5M reach (reaching nearly everyone inFinland). The song also received a gold album because it got over 2M streams inSpotify. It was also played on radio and is a staple in karaoke joints in Finland.

2024 Golden Drum Silver (Creative Business Excellence)
2024 London International Awards Finalist (Creative Strategy)
2023 Eurobest Bronze (Creative Strategy)
2023 Effie Bronze (David vs. Goliath)
2023 Effie Silver (Brand Solution)
2023 Vuoden Huiput Silver (Strategy)
2024 Eurobest Shortlist (Creative Effectiveness)