DieHard Is Back

After its 2019 acquisition of DieHard batteries, Advance Auto Parts needed to create a major relaunch moment for the classic, yet somewhat dormant battery brand. Knowing the target audiences’ affinity for the DIE HARD action film franchise and the shared characteristics of the battery and hero John McClane, the team set out to create a new entry in the DIE HARD film canon with Bruce Willis reprising his iconic role and a DieHard Battery as his co-star. The resulting 2:00 action film would launch on 10/18/20 during a high-profile Brady-Rodgers matchup as Tampa Bay battled Green Bay on FOX. But first, an influencer-led teaser campaign on social media would create speculation and drive cultural conversation online. A strategic “leak” of an unbranded :15 teaser by the Willis daughters and a “share” by DIE HARD fanatics “The Lonely Island” using the campaign hashtag #DIEHARDISBACK kicked things off. The weekend’s activity culminated with two full minutes on DieHard entertainment playing live across the country. Capitalizing on the excitement immediately after launch, program influencers were activated again to share the full film online and the entire Advance Auto Parts digital ecosystem was coordinated in efforts to drive traffic to YouTube. Movie-poster-style assets were released to stores and media plans went into full effect with :30 and :15 versions airing in targeted channels. The work made waves online, during local news and in major publications like USA Today, People, AdWeek, AdAge and even The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The launch week was capped off with another airing of the 2:00 film during Game 5 of the World Series and it was clear to consumers everywhere that DieHard was indeed back.