Zep and Pavone Say “Let There Be Mess”

Zep, the go-to cleaning brand for professionals, partnered with Pavone on a shopper marketing campaign that blended commerce media and retail media to introduce the brand to new consumer audiences in more than 1,600 east coast stores. Many of the stores represent new sales channels for the brand.   

The Pavone campaign brought the Zep brand to life for consumers under the banner of “Let There Be Mess” and targeted audiences both online and in stores. The campaign connected with consumers on multiple levels, including a strategic use of targeted OTT (over-the-top) and online video. 

In-store efforts included shelf talkers and box talkers in Harris Teeter, Target, Wakefern and Publix locations in 16 states. Online, Pavone’s commerce media team used a mix of programmatic ads and paid social media  to target household category shoppers while leveraging click to cart technology allowing shoppers to put products directly into retailer carts.

“Zep’s products are well established and have a loyal following among cleaning professionals and consumers who aspire to use the best products for their cleaning needs,”

said Zep CEO Amy Hahn. “Zep earned this position as a high efficacy brand whose products work the first time. More and more consumers are discovering the value of Zep to clean their homes as we expand to new channels.” 

The work kicked off in November 2023 and ran through January 2024. 

“We partnered with Pavone on a Shopper Marketing program to spread the word so more consumers can experience the benefits of our products,” said Amy. “Pavone identified how and where to reach new and current consumers, expanding our reach and driving measurable results that drove sales for our retail partners.” 

The six-week campaign was a success, driving a 51% sales lift across in-store and digital supported stores. Repeat sales showed that the campaign’s impact continued even after the six-week effort ended.

“For us, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to take the brand equity that Zep had built over the years in home improvement channels and translate it to the grocery and mass channels and consumer audiences,” said Pavone senior director of integrated communications Lisa Corry-Godby.  

Next up for Pavone: A spring cleaning sofa-to-shelf campaign that kicked off in March and continues the “Let There Be Mess” campaign. The campaign uses a connected commerce strategy and marks the brand’s first use of over-the-top (OTT) advertising to support Zep’s top markets and key retailers. 

Zep is a leading innovator, producer, and distributor of maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation solutions for food and beverage, industrial and institutional, retail, and vehicle care customers. Pavone is part of Pavone Group, a full-service marketing group with offices in Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta and Harrisburg, Pa.