Mark’s is reminding customers who have turned to the retailer for things like work clothes and boots that it’s still the place for them.

As part of the “All Things Simple” platform, the “Welcome Home” campaign shows a contractor going from the job site to Mark’s to getting back home to relax with his dog. The idea is that, much like it does for day-to-day fashion, Mark’s makes getting the things people need for their jobs easy, so they have more time to devote to the simple things in life that bring them joy.

“With our repositioning last fall, we really looked at our value proposition of how we serve Canadians…and core to our DNA is a simple experience, whether that’s for a casual or an industrial customer,” says Sean Goodwin, associate VP, strategic marketing at Mark’s.

Mark’s marketing for the last few years has been focused on casual wear, meaning it has had to break down perceptions that it’s only a work wear destination. That has included dropping the “Work Warehouse” from its name and marketing that has been specifically focused on settings outside of the job site.

However, Goodwin notes, the brand’s roots are in servicing industrial customers. Mark’s has attempted to reflect that through brand platforms that reflect a “working class” customer, but it felt it needed a more direct connection to work settings. While Mark’s still wants Canadians to know that it’s not only a place for industrial clothes and boots, it is still a top source for those things as well, where customer can find the same “simple” approach and national brands they are looking for.

As part of the latest effort, the brand is also employing testimonials from people like Mark’s own VPs and industrial customers, as peer-to-peer recommendations are especially important when it comes to work wear, Goodwin says.

“We want to make sure we are bring forward real faces and real people that build the infrastructure of Canada as our core customer,” Goodwin says.

The retailer is also reaching out to a segment many might not think of when considering a work wear customer: frontline health workers. Goodwin says the campaign is also aligning to relevant moments to specific professions, such as last week’s International Nurses Week.

The ad spend is higher than past spring campaigns. Goodwin says, this year, Mark’s is focusing on assortment, brands carried and more emotional messaging around specific moments of the year, which have driven strong sales results in a year when many other apparel retailers have struggled.

Goodwin acknowledges that its target is niche and wanted to limit spill-over; to make sure it wasn’t talking about scrubs or work boots to someone who may not need them for their job, the campaign is hyper-targeted through digital channels like YouTube, Pinterest and Facebook. To that end, Mark’s PR team is also working closely with influencers in specific trades.

Cartier was the creative agency on the campaign, with Touche! working with Mark’s internal media team on buying and digital strategy.