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Charging towards a better tomorrow

Friday, February 10, 2023

Mohawk partners with Rhinory for its new SmartStrand campaign

[Las Vegas] Mohawk’s SmartStrand has a legacy of storytelling around its performance, sustainability and beauty. It also has a long history of unique promotions beginning with Ricko the Rhino more than a decade ago. This year, Mohawk took its campaign to the next level by partnering with Rhinory, a rhino preserve and winery located in the Hill Country of Texas.

“We saw the opportunity to bring more storytelling back in and to bring back a larger than life activation,” Kelli Widdifield, Mohawk’s senior vice president of marketing, told FCW at The International Surface Event here late last month.

What’s more, Widdifield reported, “We are doubling down on SmartStrand and extended the line with the launch of the Colorwall.”

The partnership with Rhinory came about after the Mohawk team began brainstorming months ago, according to Widdifield, and took a look at the key foundational elements around SmartStrand. “We kept coming back to the rhino — it’s big, burly, messy. All elements of the ultimate test. The other test is wine stains,” she added. “This is a way to combine the two.” Rhinory, in fact, is funded by its winery sales.

Blake is the first rhino to live at Rhinory. The campaign will help the preserve reach a larger audience, care for these animals and provide safety. Since 2008, more than 11,000 rhinos have been poached in Africa — that statistic motivated Craig Stevens and his wife Chesney Castleberry to open the Rhinory in 2022.

Attendees at Mohawk’s VIP event had a chance to sample wines from the Rhinory.

The SmartStrand campaign, shared Widdifield, is “genuinely the best way to prove the product but also do good.”

Following Surfaces, the carpet was installed in Blake’s barn and over the course of the coming month, Mohawk will be creating assets to promote SmartStand through all channels as it stands Blake’s test. “SmartStrand is really unique and innovative as a proprietary fiber with superior durability, cleanability and the All Pet Warranty. It’s the best All Pet test.”

Added Widdifield, “It’s going to benefit our dealers — it’s heartfelt and engaging. They want more storytelling that resonates with the next generation of consumers. For us, this campaign is all about authenticity,” said Widdifield. “It is about conservation and doing something good in the world. We are excited to help bring even more rhinos to Rhinory and bring the rhino back for SmartStrand.”