While nearly 60 % of French people describe themselves as DIY enthusiasts, 56 %  rank small jobs among the “chores” they are most likely to put off until tomorrow. Leroy Merlin’s, Les Produits Anti-Flemme (Anti-Laziness Products), are putting an end to procrastination.

Rather than waiting for motivation to fall from the sky, the brand decided to offer it alongside the product sale, by launching the first DIY motivation programme. The concept is simple and unexpected. After the purchase, the product itself reaches out via WhatsApp and keeps reminding its owner until the job is finally done.

Once registered, users choose the timeframe within which they wish to complete their projects – one, two or three weeks. The frequency of messages is then adjusted accordingly, offering a level of support that is more or less intensive.

And don’t assume these reminders are impersonal. Each product speaks with its own strong personality. The paintbrush becomes a tortured artist and an unapologetic drama queen; the psychic light bulb has already seen your crystal clear future (where you will put that light up); the screws and wall plugs combine as a commando unit that doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘give up’; and the filler tube is a personal trainer who won’t give up on you until the very last touch-up.

Message after message, the products encourage, spur on and tease their owners, with one aim: to give them the push they need to finally take action. If the project turns out to be more complicated than expected, the bot gives customers access to a Leroy Merlin tutorial tailored to their project. Once the work is complete, all they need to do is report it to find out what awaits them at the end of the experience.

The programme allows Leroy Merlin to extend its support beyond the point of purchase with the customer relationship continuing until the customer’s project is completed – a tangible way of putting the brand’s belief into practice: improving your home means improving your life.

FullSix designed and developed the campaign, from identifying the insight through to rolling out the program on WhatsApp. To bring the idea to life, the agency first identified the small jobs that French people have a tendency to put off, before selecting 4000 eligible references in collaboration with Leroy Merlin. The products were organised by large project categories, then linked to specific conversational flows. Fullsix imagined their personalities, crafted the messages, defined their tone and pace, and developed the bot.

According to comparative industry studies, messages sent via WhatsApp Business have read rates of between 95 % and 98 %, with many of them being read within minutes of receipt, so the idea creates a sustained and helpful relationship between brand and user. (Sadly, the campaign is only running until September 16.)