Staples vs The Home Depot

Staples Launches 'Hard vs. Easy' B2B Brand Campaign

Staples is launching a new full-funnel advertising campaign called 'Hard vs. Easy' to spotlight its enterprise-level B2B services and celebrate its 40th anniversary. The campaign introduces a black 'hard button' as a dark alter ego to the iconic red 'easy button,' humorously depicting workplace mishaps solved by Staples' solutions. The ads will run across streaming services like YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as social platforms and out-of-home placements. Chief Marketing Officer Bob Sherwin, who joined in June of last year, aims to shift perception from Staples as a retail store to a comprehensive B2B solutions provider, leveraging its supply chain and same-day delivery capabilities. The campaign was created in-house with support from agencies Bandits & Friends and Monks.

• Staples launched a new 'Hard vs. Easy' full-funnel B2B campaign featuring a black hard button alter ego.
• The campaign includes ads on YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, LinkedIn, Meta, out-of-home billboards, and digital signage.
• Staples' CMO Bob Sherwin says the campaign aims to shift perception from retail store to B2B solutions provider.

Ten Most Memorable Back-to-School Ad Campaigns

The Drum published a feature listing ten notable back-to-school advertising campaigns, spanning retailers and charities such as Staples, Old Navy, JCPenney, Target, Sandy Hook Promise and The Diana Award. The piece highlights creative approaches — from parent-focused humor and child-directed work to shock-value PSAs and cause-driven activations — and cites measurable outcomes like view counts, recall rates, donation commitments and sales uplifts that demonstrate long-term impact beyond seasonal selling.

• The Drum published a list of 10 notable back-to-school ad campaigns on 2026-08-17.
• Staples’ 1994 'It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' campaign won a Clio and an Effie; later revivals achieved up to 56% unaided recall.
• Sandy Hook Promise’s 2019 'Back-to-School Essentials' film (created by BBDO New York) reached 26 million views in 24 hours on $37,000 of paid media and won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Commercial.

The Home Depot Newsroom: New Store Openings and Holiday Collection Announcements

The Home Depot Newsroom features new press releases including the opening of a new store in Peñitas, TX and a new Flatbed Delivery Center in Westminster, MA, both dated October 02, 2026, along with the 2026 Holiday Decor Collection announcement.

Inside the Project to Build a Veteran's Home on America's Front Lawn

The Home Depot Foundation teams up with Purple Heart Homes to build a home for a veteran on the National Mall.

The Home Depot Announces 2026 Holiday Decor Collection and Seasonal Savings on Gifts for Everyone on Your List

The Home Depot announced its 2026 Holiday Decor Collection and seasonal savings on gifts, a major product launch for the upcoming holiday season.