10 INSIGHT
Stand up for your right (to sit down) Sit back, and listen up! Iconic recliner brand La-Z-Boy UK is launching its most ambitious marketing rebrand to date, in order to highlight its commitment to delivering comfort to consumers …
Harrison
“Everyone deserves to be able to sit back and relax in comfort without feeling guilty
Long Live the Lazy aims to reinvigorate the brand and generate interest and engagement from both retailers and customers. Its mission is to bring La-Z-Boy into the cultural conversation and promote to today’s consumers its USPs of comfort by design and motion furniture. Research has shown that while consumers know La-Z-Boy as a recliner brand, it is not as well known for suites or static furniture. The Long Live the Lazy campaign, which has already been launched in the US for the American arm of the business, and other territories worldwide, will also ensure consistency in how the brand is presented around the world, to boost recognition globally. The ethos behind Long Live the Lazy is to encourage consumers to embrace the art of self care and ‘me time’ by allowing themselves to fully relax and enjoy feet-up lazy moments, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Adam Morley, head of marketing and operations at La-Z-Boy UK, says: “Life today is busier and more stressful than ever before, and we want to stand up for people’s right to sit down and enjoy well-deserved lazy moments. Our Long Live the Lazy campaign recognises the importance of taking time out to unwind, lay back and prioritise comfort, self-care and relaxation.
“We hope retailers will love our fresh and modern brand identity as much as we do – this is the biggest investment in the La-Z-Boy brand to date. The campaign will really focus on the comfort our collections offer consumers, and we will be embracing innovative new ways to get this message out to potential customers and the furniture industry as a whole.” Reclaiming a legacy of comfort La-Z-Boy was originally founded in 1927 in Michigan, US, by two cousins, Edward M Knabusch and Edwin J Shoemaker. The pair then invented the world’s first recliner in 1928 – a folding wood-slat porch chair, which followed the contours of the user’s body, allowing them to both sit and lean back comfortably. The very first prototypes were made from orange crates, while the cousins worked on creating a reclining mechanism which would allow people to really relax, sit back and put their feet up. The idea of comfort and relaxation was always integral to their idea, and when they held a competition to name the product, they considered suggestions including Sit-n-Snooze, Slack-Back and Comfort Carrier, before deciding on La-Z-Boy as the name which would carry the brand forward. At a time when most furniture was upright and