Selleys: If You Can Take It, It's Yours
Selleys tasked Howatson+Company with regaining market share among professional builders who were skeptical of product claims. The goal was to prove the extreme strength of Liquid Nails to an audience that ignored traditional advertising. The client needed a way to demonstrate the adhesive's 400kg holding power effectively, aiming to increase brand awareness and drive sales through a campaign that provided undeniable, physical evidence of product performance.
Creative Idea
Glued heavy objects to a public billboard and dared passersby to take them.
Selleys challenged professional builders to remove heavy objects glued to a billboard, using the product's extreme structural bond as physical proof of strength to bypass skepticism and prove its performance in a real-world, high-stakes environment.
The Billboard That Defied Australia’s Strongest Men
Engineering a Public Standoff
To ensure the Liquid Nails Extreme Grab held firm against the public, the production team worked with structural engineers to mount items ranging from heavy tool chests to industrial equipment. The adhesive was applied under strict supervision to mimic real-world construction conditions, ensuring the bond was authentic rather than staged. The installation required a custom-built steel frame hidden behind the billboard skin to support the immense weight, preventing the entire structure from collapsing under the pressure of the 400kg load.
Turning Skeptics Into Viral Content
The campaign’s success hinged on the participation of Havea Matangi, Australia’s second-strongest man. His failure to dislodge the items provided the "undeniable proof" the agency sought. By inviting the public and influencers like Tommy Armour to attempt the feat, the campaign bypassed the cynicism typical of the trade industry. The footage was captured using a mix of high-speed cameras and hidden rigs, creating a raw, documentary-style aesthetic that resonated with the target demographic.
A Record-Breaking Commercial Footprint
The campaign’s impact extended far beyond the streets of Newtown. By generating a 5% sales lift, it secured its place as the most effective campaign in the history of the Selleys brand. The 47 million video views were largely organic, driven by the sheer spectacle of the challenge. The project proved that for a brand selling structural strength, physical demonstration remains the most potent form of persuasion, effectively silencing the skepticism of professional builders who had previously dismissed traditional advertising claims.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Selleys possessed a high-performance construction adhesive with 400kg of holding power per square meter.
Category
Construction adhesive brands typically rely on abstract marketing claims and technical jargon that builders ignore.
Customer
Professional builders possess a high bullshit-detector and demand undeniable physical proof before trusting a product.
Culture
The rise of experiential, shareable social media stunts turned a local billboard into a viral, proof-based spectacle.
Company
Selleys possessed a high-performance construction adhesive with 400kg of holding power per square meter.
Category
Construction adhesive brands typically rely on abstract marketing claims and technical jargon that builders ignore.
Strategy:
Replace empty marketing claims with undeniable physical proof to bypass professional skepticism.
Customer
Professional builders possess a high bullshit-detector and demand undeniable physical proof before trusting a product.
Culture
The rise of experiential, shareable social media stunts turned a local billboard into a viral, proof-based spectacle.
Strategy:
Replace empty marketing claims with undeniable physical proof to bypass professional skepticism.
Results
The campaign generated massive engagement and business growth, achieving 47 million views across social media platforms. It led to a 12% increase in brand awareness and a 5% increase in sales for Selleys Liquid Nails. The physical activation itself resulted in 3 muscles pulled by participants attempting to remove the items from the billboard.
47M
views
+12%
increase in brand awareness
+5%
increase in sales
Strategy Technique
Turn Brand Values Into Action
Instead of advertising the product's holding power, the brand demonstrated it through a high-stakes public stunt. This transformed a technical claim into an undeniable, lived experience for the target audience.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Challenge
The campaign turns the product's primary benefit into a public physical challenge. This forces the audience to experience the adhesive's strength firsthand rather than just hearing about it.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign excels through experiential design, turning a simple product claim into an interactive, high-stakes public challenge. The physical execution of the billboard perfectly demonstrates the product's utility without relying on digital effects.
The creation of an interactive billboard that directly challenges the public serves as the ultimate, un-faked product demonstration.
The bold, no-nonsense copy speaks directly to the target audience of builders with humor and confidence.
