Dive Brief:
- Wayfair has teamed with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for a new brand platform called “Wayfair Delivers,” according to a press release.
- Key to the effort is a 30-second spot starring Stafford alongside his wife and four kids as they use Wayfair to furnish their family space. The ad, made in-house with support from Paramount Media Labs, debuted during “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN.
- Wayfair is also upping its focus on sports through an increase in advertising investment across the networks airing football games to five times its previous spend. The move follows a rise in orders placed during Q2, driven primarily by mobile shoppers.
Dive Insight:
The “Wayfair Delivers” platform kicks off a new long-term brand strategy focused on the qualities, like value and trusted service, that the home furnishings retailer offers consumers, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The move also sees the marketer upping its bet on live sports, which remain an attractive advertising opportunity for brands despite the rise in streaming TV. Sports provide advertisers access to a broad audience, with nearly half of the U.S. population identifying as live sports viewers, according to Emarketer.
“Wayfair Delivers” kicks off with an ad starring Stafford, who was named the 2025 Associated Press NFL MVP, alongside his wife, Kelly, and their four daughters. The spot starts by touting Stafford’s football credentials before abruptly transitioning to his chaotic life at home, complete with pillows soaring through the air, toys on display and furniture that has seen better days. The Staffords then place a Wayfair order for furniture that proves more functional for the family.
Along with the ad, Wayfair is calling attention to value-focused offerings including Wayfair Verified, its collection of items hand-vetted for quality, and the Wayfair Rewards loyalty program. “Wayfair Delivers” will span linear TV, connected TV and social channels, with the Stafford ad set to air on ABC, ESPN, CBS and NBC. Creative was handled in-house with support from Paramount Advertising’s full-service branded content studio, Paramount Media Labs.
Wayfair is spreading awareness for its new platform through a deeper investment in football, inclusive of a hefty increase in ad investment. Additionally, the brand is sponsoring and decorating the set for CBS Sports’ Sunday morning football pregame show, and through a partnership with Bleacher Report will sponsor B/R NFL Draft Live in April 2027.
Though the broader furniture category is stuck in a sales slump, Wayfair has recently seen bright spots. The company’s Q2 revenue increased 7.5% versus the year-ago period, growth that was driven by momentum in orders, which were up 6% year over year for a total of 10.6 million. Of total orders, Wayfair customers placed 64.1% via mobile device, an increase from 62.9% the previous year, executives said while discussing the earnings.
Wayfair has worked to enhance its online shopping experience, including through a partnership with Google earlier this year around artificial intelligence-powered discovery. The company has also focused on growing its brick-and-mortar footprint.
