Staples Launched Hard Button Marketing Campaign
The retailer introduced a black Hard Button to differentiate its services across social media and billboard ads.
Updated on Sept. 18, 2026 in Advertising
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Staples has debuted a Hard Button advertising campaign to move beyond its reputation for basic office supplies. The initiative will serve as the retailer's primary marketing platform for the next several years.
Why it matters
The company is pivoting to highlight its broader array of goods and services, aiming to shift consumer perception and capture market share. This multi-year strategy signals a significant reinvestment in brand identity across its 900 stores.
Staples operates 900 stores and expects one-third of its marketing spend to target individual consumers. The new campaign replaces an Easy Button concept that was originally introduced 20 years ago.
The players
Staples
An office supply retailer owned by Sycamore Partners that operates 900 locations.
Sycamore Partners
A private equity firm that owns and manages the operations of Staples.
Bandits & Friends
The external creative agency that collaborated with the Staples marketing team.
Monks
The production firm engaged to support the execution of the new advertising campaign.
The details
The campaign uses video advertisements to contrast difficult workplace scenarios with the seamless service Staples claims to provide. Developed with external agency Bandits & Friends and production firm Monks, the ads appear across streaming services, social media, and billboards. The creative strategy features the black Hard Button as a foil to the company's red Easy Button, which was revived last year.
Timeline
The Easy Button concept was originally introduced 20 years ago.
Staples brought back the red Easy Button in 2025.
The Hard Button advertising campaign launched in September 2026.
Market Landscape
Staples' shift to a Hard Button campaign follows the 20-year-old Easy Button concept, marking a strategic pivot away from that legacy platform. The retailer is now aligning its marketing footprint with a multi-year strategy to reposition its brand presence in a competitive office supply market.
Operators should observe whether this multi-year investment successfully increases foot traffic or service-tier adoption in Staples' 900 locations. Monitoring the shift toward consumer-focused marketing can provide a benchmark for how established legacy retailers are retooling their value propositions.
The takeaway
Staples is attempting to modernize its brand by contrasting its historical focus on ease with a new Hard Button motif. Operators should track whether this long-term advertising commitment translates into a measurable uptick in demand for their non-traditional office service lines.
Further reading
Read more on evolving brand strategies in the Advertising section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Boston Globe.
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