CREATIVE

DIYer Nick Offerman goes undercover for True Value

By Reel Chicago
January 9, 2026

A new campaign from Laughlin Constable for True Value puts an undercover Nick Offerman (The Last of Us, Death By Lightning) at the center of a brand reset designed to meet modern DIY culture where it actually lives: in experimentation, improvisation, and projects done on your own terms.

As project culture continues to evolve, the appeal of DIY has shifted away from rigid instruction and toward personal expression. That mindset anchors “Your Project, Your Way,” a new brand platform created by Laughlin Constable that reintroduces one of America’s most recognizable hardware brands to a younger generation of makers, builders, and first-time fixers.

At the heart of the campaign is “Undercover Nick,” a hero spot starring Offerman, whose real-life passion for woodworking makes him a natural fit. Appearing incognito inside a True Value store in a rotation of fake mustaches, Offerman poses as a store employee, helping customers navigate their projects with dry humor and self-aware charm. The tone intentionally sidesteps the category’s usual Dad-rock seriousness, replacing it with something warmer, more human, and a little unexpected.

The casting goes beyond celebrity. Offerman is an active woodworker who champions hands-on creativity in his latest book, Little Woodchucks, and he was a frequent True Value customer growing up in Minooka, Illinois. That shared history gives the campaign an authenticity rooted in lived experience rather than endorsement optics. Watch below:

“True Value represents the independence of doing what you love with your own two hands,” shared Offerman. “I was extremely gratified to work with an authentically charismatic brand that’s been part of my life since childhood.”

Additionally, 30-second and 15-second anthem spots expand the platform, spotlighting the approachable expertise of True Value’s locally owned stores and celebrating the humor, individuality, and trial-and-error reality of modern DIY.

The launch also signals a pivotal moment for True Value following its acquisition by Do it Best Corp. last year. “With Your Project, Your Way, we wanted to celebrate the independent spirit of our stores and the people who shop in them,” said Eric Lane, SVP of Marketing at True Value. “No project is too big or too small when you approach it on your own terms.”

For Laughlin Constable, the work is deeply personal. Co-CCO Jon Laughlin grew up in his grandparents’ Milwaukee True Value store, an experience that shaped both his career and the agency’s belief in independent retailers. “This campaign was about capturing that spirit with a tone that’s genuine, surprising, and just the right amount of irreverent,” he said.

The campaign launched January 7 and will run across CTV, YouTube, paid social, influencers, streaming audio, and in-store placements, with high-profile visibility tied to live sports, including True Value’s role as Official Hardware Sponsor of the NCAA Big East Conference Tournament and surrounding March Madness coverage.

CREDITS:

BRAND: True Value

AGENCY: Laughlin Constable