About Face

Sears Roebuck & Co. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) announces plans to overhaul its September advertising campaign to focus on name-brand merchandise rather than discount prices. The decision comes after Sears ceo and chairman Alan Lacy decided that a pricing strategy unnaturally pitted Sears against Target and Wal-Mart. Instead, starting on September 6, the new theme is “Sears. Where else?”

Sears executives hope the facelift will revive flagging sales. “The goal is to articulate what the brand is all about and serve it up in a fresh way,” said David Selby, senior vp for marketing at Sears. “Rather than be embarrassed or vague, we want to celebrate the breadth of merchandise Sears has.” The commercials depict humorous situations involving multiple Sears products. For example, one spot shows a woman in stylish fall clothes with leaves blowing around her – caused by a man's Sears Craftsman leaf blower.