Home Hardware’s private brand investment strategy continues to ratchet up, with a relaunch of the Benchmark tool line now rolling out during the holiday shopping period.

“Built to Build” is a TV-led campaign aimed at DIYers that calls out the new battery system for Benchmark’s power tools, as well as just how many tools the brand offers.

Private brands are a key focus area for Home Hardware, according to Laura Baker, who took on VP of marketing duties in September. Benchmark’s overhaul comes on the heels of a large campaign for BeautiTone that launched in September and wraps up next week, which gave the paint brand a more contemporary look and feel and “rethink colour” tagline, part of a new positioning around expanding colour boundaries and our emotional connections to them.

“Our private brand strategy is very important to Home Hardware, what really sets us apart from the competition,” Baker maintains. While BeautiTone has been somewhat more visible from an advertising perspective, Baker says Benchmark has also been a critical private label for a long time, and the relaunch is about modernizing the brand, but also letting people see the breadth of what’s available in the line.

The “Built to Build” ads highlight both power and hand tools, as well as outdoor power equipment, giving customers a better sense of the whole range. Most importantly, Baker says, it also shows off the brand’s new Omega 20V battery system, which is compatible and interchangeable across all of the Benchmark 20V cordless products, from tools to lawn and garden equipment. A single-source battery system, when combined with every tool a DIY builder or homeowner might need, is a big draw.

“It’s to show the versatility of the line, and you can go from one project to the next, without needing to look for a new battery system,” Baker says. There’s also a power washer, that can be put into any water source including a bucket or even a lake.

While a good portion of Home Hardware’s customer base is professional contractors, Benchmark, however, is more focused on a DIY user. The timing, Baker says, reflects people’s year-round DIY ethos, especially during a pandemic, and Benchmark also makes a great Christmas gift for that target.

“Built to Build” was developed by AOR John St. and is supported through social and digital channels, as well as a 30-second TV spot and in-store signage. The relaunch is being customized for the Quebec and French markets where it will be represented as “Conçus pour bâtir.” The campaign runs until Dec. 24 with media by PHD.