This Benjamin Moore campaign transforms product benefits into a monumental ambient installation, redefining durability in coatings— Clapboard's Global Ad
Corotech positions Benjamin Moore firmly at the intersection of product promise and creative expression, with The Martin Agency delivering a campaign that speaks directly to the heart of the House and Garden sector’s need for durable, high-performance finishes. The concept pivots on a monumental installation: the brand name rendered as an imposing C-O-R-O-T-E-C-H sculpture, each letter forged from real materials—wood, steel, concrete, and others—that Corotech coatings are engineered to protect. By harnessing the visual heft of raw, industrial substrates and finishing every surface in Corotech, the campaign makes an unmissable, physical statement about robustness and longevity, targeting both contractors driven by technical assurance and homeowners swayed by evidence of resilience in their spaces. What Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#9—Symbolize the Benefit—anchors the work: the structure’s exaggerated scale and material authenticity serve as an arresting metaphor for the product’s core competency, turning theoretical protection into something visually and tangibly formidable. The campaign’s ambient placement, lending the impression of a real-world product test, grounds the hyperbole in credibility, while the scale attracts organic attention and invites onlookers to consider the myriad challenges coatings must meet in the field. Amplified by a strategic matrix of social channels, Benjamin Moore’s push ensures the installation’s impact is not confined to its locale, but radiates outwards to audiences in search of inspiration, technical content, and proof points. In a market category where innovation is often incremental and messaging migrates quickly to the functional, this campaign carves out a sharper position by materializing benefit as built form, sidestepping cliché before-and-after tropes in favor of pure, elemental branding. Contractors, who demand categorical assurance, and DIY audiences, who seek ideas and confidence, encounter a single, unifying narrative: Corotech as protector and enhancer of the materials that define our built environment. Bolstered by clear information pathways—links and social touchpoints that capture interest and feed enthusiasm—the campaign integrates an analogue spectacle with a digital audience strategy, ensuring resonance from site to screen. The campaign earns 63/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. Corotech matters because it demonstrates how the symbolic dramatization of performance can elevate a purely practical product, setting a template for category leaders determined to claim the high ground in both imagination and engineering.
Credits
Client
Benjamin Moore
Agency
The Martin Agency
Executive Creative Director
Joe Alexander
Creative Director
Jordi Martinez, Jerry Hoak, Vanessa Fortier, Deric Nance
Creative Director Art
Diego Morales
Post Production
Greg Cassidy, Crux Scenica
Producer
Kerry Ayers, Kim Zaninovich, Jesse Wright, Ash Bruce, Phillip Epstein, Nick Turner
Business Affairs Manager
Liza Miller
Account Management
Alice Isner, LaTasha Evans, Allison Oxenreiter, Mary Anne Kavjian
Project Manager
Elizabeth Wilber
Strategic Planner
Matt Mattox
Developer
Andrzej Aniol
The Benjamin Moore "Corotech" campaign emphasizes durability and authenticity, positioning the brand as a trusted provider of high-performance coatings designed for professionals who demand longevity and quality. By showcasing the product as being made “from the materials we protect,” the campaign conveys a promise of resilience and real-world relevance, suggesting that Corotech coatings are built to endure the same wear and conditions as the environments they safeguard. This establishes a tangible connection between the product and its practical application, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to protective performance in the house and garden industry.
Strategically, the campaign targets professional contractors and trade specialists within the consumer durables market, leveraging the ambient media format and a montage genre to visually narrate the product’s robustness and industrial strength. The creative angle centers on the idea of construction from the ground up, literally assembling the Corotech name from coated materials gathered from everyday environments. This insight appeals to an audience that values technical reliability and product credibility over aesthetic appeal alone. By grounding the message in the authentic materials and protective qualities of Corotech, the campaign effectively differentiates Benjamin Moore’s professional line in a category often crowded with generic paint solutions. The use of digital channels for extended engagement—linking to detailed product information and complementary social media platforms—supports a market strategy focused on fostering deeper brand loyalty and informed purchasing decisions among contractors seeking specialized high-performance coatings.
FORMAT#9 SYMBOLIZE THE BENEFIT — Uses symbols or exaggerated visuals to represent the product’s positive impact.
This campaign fits FORMAT#9 because it centers on the creation of a massive, real-world structure spelling "C-O-R-O-T-E-C-H," with each letter constructed from actual materials and coated in Corotech. The act of building giant letters from durable, protected materials serves as an exaggerated, visual metaphor—symbolizing the strength and protection the brand’s coatings provide. Rather than showing a literal demonstration or telling a story, the campaign leverages symbolic representation to communicate durability and performance, aligning perfectly with the "Symbolize the Benefit" format.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Sherwin-Williams – Positioned as a professional-grade, innovation-focused paint brand that emphasizes durability and a wide color palette. The company leverages an extensive distribution network with proprietary stores, targeting both contractors and homeowners seeking premium quality and expert advice.
2. Behr – Marketed primarily through large retailers like Home Depot, Behr differentiates with accessible pricing, user-friendly products, and strong DIY appeal. Its brand messaging highlights ease of use and vibrant, long-lasting colors for homeowners looking to refresh their spaces efficiently.
3. Valspar – Known for its innovative technology and broad color selections, Valspar focuses on simplifying the painting process with enhanced formulations like weather resistance and low VOC. It appeals to both professionals and DIY consumers through retail partnerships and strong consumer education.
4. PPG Paints – Positioned as a leader in sustainable, high-performance coatings, PPG targets environmentally conscious customers and professionals. The brand emphasizes advanced technology and extensive customization, appealing to commercial and residential markets focused on quality and eco-friendliness.
5. Glidden – Targets cost-conscious homeowners and DIYers with reliable, easy-to-apply paint solutions. Glidden's strategic angle includes value pricing and wide availability through major retailers, positioning itself as a trustworthy and affordable option without sacrificing quality.
Production House
Mondial, Black & Red
Director
Duy Nguyen
Editor
Nick Wurz
Owners
Joshua Bennet, Christina Delli Santi
Music
Tiny Lion
Engineer
Jonathan Fuller
ARCHIVE
Manufactura Shorts on Shorts Ambient Campaign Belarus 2012
How Manufactura Turned Textile Printing Into a Live Ambient Brief in Belarus Manufactura's 'Shorts...
Q: What is Corotech about?
A: Corotech is a professional ambient campaign launched in the United States in 2017 for Benjamin Moore by The Martin Agency. Targeting the house and garden sector, the campaign centers on a monumental installation spelling out C-O-R-O-T-E-C-H, with each letter constructed from real-world materials that the product is engineered to protect. This creative execution visually demonstrates the durability and authenticity of Corotech high-performance coatings, aiming to connect with both contractors and homeowners. The campaign leverages strategic ambient placement and digital engagement to reinforce Benjamin Moore’s reputation for quality and innovation in protective finishes.
Q: What creative device does Corotech use?
A: Corotech employs the Symbolize the Benefit technique, classified as FORMAT#9 in Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. The campaign’s core idea is the construction of giant letters from actual materials, each coated with Corotech, serving as an exaggerated visual metaphor for the product’s strength and resilience. Rather than relying on a traditional demonstration or narrative, this approach uses symbolic representation to communicate the brand’s promise of durability and protection, aligning precisely with Clapboard’s definition of FORMAT#9.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Corotech?
A: The campaign proposition for Corotech positions Benjamin Moore as a trusted provider of high-performance coatings designed for professionals who prioritize longevity and reliability. By showcasing the product as being made from the very materials it protects, the campaign conveys a message of real-world relevance and resilience. This strategy targets professional contractors and trade specialists within the consumer durables market, emphasizing technical credibility and practical application. The approach differentiates Corotech from generic paint solutions by grounding its message in authenticity and proven protective performance.
Q: How does Corotech rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Corotech holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 63/100. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as assessed by Clapboard’s global ad archive.
Q: Who are the competitors in Benjamin Moore's category?
A: In the professional coatings and consumer durables market, Benjamin Moore competes with Sherwin-Williams, which focuses on professional-grade innovation and an extensive distribution network; Behr, known for accessible pricing and strong DIY appeal through major retailers; Valspar, which emphasizes technological innovation and consumer education; PPG Paints, targeting quality and sustainability for both commercial and residential clients; and Glidden, which appeals to value-driven homeowners with reliable, easy-to-apply solutions available widely through retail channels.
Creative Collaboration Platform: The Backbone of Modern Creative WorkWhat is a creative collaboration platform?Clapboard defines a creative collaboration platform as the operational core for today’s distributed creative teams. This is not a collection of digital collaboration tools stitched together; Clapboard’s system
If you are a deep practitioner of the media capabilities of the 2026 world, then you would be aware that a brand needs about 20,000 unique pieces of content per year for different demographics, psychographics etc.
That's 19,900 more than what most big brands actually put out. And if you understand how the Googles, Facebooks, Snapchats and Instagrams work, then you would know that your creative teams will have to deliver a lot more video centric content to fill the pipes of media distribution than they currently are doing.
That's why we've created Clapboard - to produce quality video content at a low enough cost. Quality being contextual to the social media platform, not necessarily high production, thus delivering the best bang for your every buck
JOIN THE NEWSLETTER.
Content Production insights, videos, books, and freebies, delivered to your inbox weekly
What Is Clapboard? A Video‑First Creative Marketplace & Production Ecosystem
Understanding the Creative Production MarketplaceWhat is a Creative Production Marketplace?Clapboard defines a creative production marketplace as a structured ecosystem where brands, agencies, and production talent converge to execute video, advertising, and branded content at scale. Unlike the legacy agency or freelanREAD FULL ARTICLE
The Urgent Need for a Creative Production Operating SystemWhy Traditional Creative Production Models Break DownClapboard sees the creative production landscape shifting under pressure. Content velocity is no longer a buzzword—it’s a mandate. Modern advertising demands relentless output across dozens of channels, each wREAD FULL ARTICLE