The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2013–2015
Lowe's taught 6-second DIY on Vine and beat TV reach
60+ six-second Vine lifehacks shot on a smartphone drew 50M+ views and 2x engagement; Effie case, Cannes Bronze.
Lowe's
The solution
Roughly 80 million US millennials were potential Lowe's customers, but they didn't watch the TV and print where home-improvement brands advertised. Getting their attention meant meeting them inside a new, fast-growing platform they were already on: Vine.
The #LowesFixinSix series delivered six-second, stop-motion lifehacks — real fixes like disinfecting a sponge in the microwave or hiding wood scratches with a walnut. Where other brands used Vine for one-off curiosities, Lowe's made utility the format, publishing more than 60 videos over time.
The campaign drew over 50 million views across platforms, with engagement more than twice the level of other social content and millennial engagement 11% higher — all shot on a smartphone, running mostly on free media.
Why it worked
- Every video delivered a real fix, so utility drove sharing
- The loop structure made repeat views inevitable and the tip unforgettable
- Smartphone production and free platforms kept cost near zero
- 50M+ views and 2x engagement proved the format beat paid media
What can be applied
Match the message to the medium's constraint: a six-second loop turned an ad into a usable trick people chose to replay and share.
Aftermath
Fix in Six earned a Bronze Cannes Lion in Cyber and Best in Show at the Mashies, was featured as a 2015 Effie case study, and became a reference point for short-form branded content before Vine itself shut down.
Sources
- Lowes' Stop-Motion 'Fix in Six' Vine Videos Teach You Quick DIY Repairs
- 2015 EFFIE Award Preview: Lowe's Home Improvement - Reaching Millennials With Mobile Video
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