Unexpected Guests This Holiday Season? Crate & Barrel Has You Covered

Whether the holidays bring extra brothers, extra dogs or extra vegans, Crate and Barrel has you covered. The home goods chain began airing its first holiday campaign from new agency of record Preacher this week.

The 60-second spot, "Front Door," features a gracious hostess who refuses to get frazzled or flustered despite a series of unexpected holiday guests. The commercial will air in 30- and 15-second versions on TV and also be pushed out in longer format digitally. Chicago-based Crate and Barrel plans to feature additional work promoting Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Suzy Cirulis, VP-marketing at Crate and Barrel, said the new campaign positions the brand in a more aspirational way that still brings inspiration to customers. "It also brings out some of the personality traits of the Crate and Barrel brand that we value most -- optimism, wit, and charm," she said. "We believe our holiday 2016 campaign continues to position the Crate and Barrel brand as the authority in entertaining, while still being approachable and fun."

Rob Baird, founder and chief creative officer at Preacher, said the shoppers who see the new commercial should identify with the hostess.

"Our audience genuinely looks forward to the holidays and sees the chance to share their home with family and friends as a passion," he said. "For people who love home design and entertaining, it's kind of like their Super Bowl."

The retailer began working with Austin-based Preacher over the summer on a project basis. Ms. Cirulis noted that the agency is a good cultural fit for her brand. "Preacher has a strong sense of design and style and an appreciation for protecting this point of difference for the Crate and Barrel brand," she added.

The 54-year-old retailer, which has more than 120 locations, has formerly worked with TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles, which it tapped as its agency of record in 2012. Last year, Crate and Barrel produced its holiday campaign internally.

Read the full story on Adage.com.