J-B Weld launched its first national TV ad campaign in its 50-year history called “Don’t toss it, J.B. Weld it,” starring none other than Nick Offerman. Known for his role as the stoic everyman Ron Swanson in Parks and Rec, Offerman is also a talented woodworker, so the role was a natural fit.
The quirky ads feature Offerman trash picking his neighbors’ stuff, then fixing it with J-B Weld. In one, he finds a rocking chair, which he returns with and rocks tauntingly outside their front window. In another, he finds a scooter, fixes it, then rides back and forth in front of the kid’s house, while he and his mother watch dejectedly. To cap off the trio, he repairs a broken patio chair and grill and holds a barbeque in the neighbor’s yard.
The company hopes that the ads will grow brand awareness, turning its current niche audience of auto repair into a more widely-used home improvement brand. The ads are definitely funny and quirky without being annoying, and the notoriety of Nick Offerman (who has a cult following of woodworkers on Twitter) may be just what J-B Weld needs to expand their market.