Nest is launching its first broadcast campaign, with a series of 30-second spots created in-house.
Each ad takes a humorous tone, often extolling Nest’s virtues through someone who doesn’t like the product. In “Grandpa,” for example, an older man complains about Nest, since “being cold builds character” and people are not building up enough leg muscle since they don’t have to get up and change the thermostat. It’s the most believable and down to earth of the ads, and because of that the most successful. Other spots see a destructive toddler and a dog (who talks through a voiceover, ugh) complaining of Nest’s Dropcam preventing them from engaging in their hijinks. A fourth spot changes up the approach, focusing on an obsessive-compulsive type who repeatedly checks if his house is on fire.
The ads will run during NFL games, beginning Sunday, as well as during prime-time programming and on cable channels such as ESPN and Discovery. Nest is hoping the ads will promote their products as potential holiday gifts.
“Who would have ever thought of giving smoke alarms and thermostats for Christmas or the holidays would be the norm, but we see a lot of people gifting our product,” Doug Sweeny, Nest’s vice president of marketing, told Adweek. “It’s a big part of our business.”