The Birth of an Icon: Lifelike "Gorilla" Stars in The Gorilla Glue Company's First National TV Commercial

CINCINNATI, Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- When The Gorilla Glue Company – which has been shaking up the retail market since it introduced its eponymous Gorilla Glue in 1999 – decided to make its first national television campaign, it decided to go big. Jim Boulden, creative director of Animal Makers, Inc., who made David Letterman's bear suit and was involved in the making of the Aflac duck, created the lifelike gorilla costume. The creative was brought to life with the help of agency Possible. The spots were directed by Barton Landesman, who has won multiple Cannes Lions and One Show Pencils awards. 

The incredibly realistic Gorilla Glue Gorilla will star in a series of TV spots designed to give do-it-yourselfers the confidence to tackle just about any project. In each spot, a DIYer struggles to complete a project using an inferior glue or tape. Gorilla shows up and offers the perfect solution – the right "Gorilla Tough" product – to which the DIYer sheepishly replies, "Gorilla Glue, of course." In one spot, Gorilla offers Gorilla Glue to mend a broken fence gate, and in another, a homeowner tries to cover a broken window with a tarp that inferior tape just won't hold to his brickwork. Again, the gorilla shows up with Gorilla Tape and a big dose of confidence, resulting in a double-thick stick to the bricks, a window well-protected from the coming rain, and a "grunt of approval" from Gorilla.

"From consumer reaction and comments, we sensed that–unlike competitive products with industrial-sounding names that might put off the inexperienced DIYer–Gorilla was very approachable," notes Matt Kemme, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at The Gorilla Glue Company. "We want to give the brand a distinct persona, engaging consumers in advertising, across social media, and in-store, where Gorilla will capture consumer attention. The strategy: Build a big idea of who Gorilla is and what he can do, educating and giving consumers confidence across the DIY spectrum."

The debut commercials will run with 30-second spots on networks including HGTV, AMC, Animal Planet, DIY and Fox News, among others. The media campaign will be supported by extensive social media promotion, a PR campaign, and some surprising Gorilla-style guerilla tactics.

About The Gorilla Glue Company
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, The Gorilla Glue Company is a leading manufacturer of adhesive solutions for DIYers, woodworkers, and professionals. The company revamped the retail adhesive landscape with its 1999 introduction of the wildly popular Gorilla Glue, a unique, all-purpose adhesive with an amazing ability to bond almost any material including wood, ceramic, stone, metal and more.

On a mission to make products that deliver impressive results, the company has since expanded its offerings to include Gorilla Tape®, Gorilla™ Super Glue Impact-Tough® Formula, Gorilla™ Wood Glue, and Gorilla™ Epoxy, further solidifying the brand's reputation as the "go-to" product line FOR THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON PLANET EARTH®.

Gorilla products have earned recognition for performance and innovation from multiple media outlets, including Popular Science magazine's Best of What's New Award and Popular Mechanic's Editor's Choice Awards. The products also bear the Good Housekeeping Seal. Gorilla brand products are proudly made in the USA.

For more information, visit www.gorillatough.com, or call 800-966-3458.

Video with caption: "Lifelike "Gorilla" Stars in The Gorilla Glue Company's First National TV Commercial." Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nClTlGv6gSs

SOURCE The Gorilla Glue Company