NEW YORK, March 15 (UPI) -- The new commercials for Fort Worth, Texas, home-furnishings retailer Pier 1 feature no celebrities -- just the products found in the chain's stores.
The commercials that begin airing this week feature items available in the chain's 1,200 stores, ranging from a Tibetan box to candles to an Indian rug, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Pier 1 has had a 17-month-long streak of negative same-store sales, but the chain is hoping the new animated ads created by Interpublic Group's Deutsch, will spur sales revenue.
"There's a lot riding on this campaign," says Neely Tamminga, senior retail analyst at Piper Jaffray. Rivals such as Target have offered more home-furnishings alternatives that compete with Pier I, according to Tamminga.
Pier 1's last ad campaign featured Thom Filicia of Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
But it was difficult translating Filicia's expertise into 30-second TV commercials, according to Marvin Girouard, Pier 1's chairman and chief executive officer.
