LANCASTER, PA.—Armstrong continues to expand its national advertising with new print and TV spots focused on driving customers into retail showrooms. The consumer campaign is designed to strengthen brand awareness and will be split, as the new commercials will feature strictly Armstrong hardwood—since it’s exclusive to the independent retail channel—while the print ads highlight the realism of Armstrong’s premiere laminate. All ads will direct consumers to Armtrong’s Website, armstrong.com, where they can utilize the dealer locator to find an Armstrong retailer in their area.

The playful 15-second television ads will target women ages 25 to 54 and play on the mill’s already known 2007 campaign theme, “Armstrong hardwood floors, tested to withstand the unexpected,” portraying various humorous life tests—a skateboarding bulldog, a soda drinking bear and a high-speed car chase—to highlight both the beauty and durability of Armstrong hardwood, explained Kent Clauson, general manager. The commercials will run on stations such as HGTV, TLC, Food Network, DIY, Style and A&E, and is estimated at 1.6 million impressions with adults 18 and older.

The new print campaign, on the other hand, will utilize the theme “It only looks like the real thing,” to highlight Armstrong laminate’s extraordinary realism, Clauson explained. Featuring four new ads portraying professional look-alikes of well-known celebrities—Katherine Hepburn, Gilda Radner, Judy Garland and Louis Armstrong—the ads are focused on grabbing attention and convincing interested homeowners they don’t have to sacrifice design for functionality, he said. These will debut in Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Southern Living, and more.

“We’ve got the best flooring in the business,” Clauson said, “and now our advertising will continue to make that clear, driving sales for Armstrong retailers.”