Topsoil Farm Supplies sits just outside Forbes in the Central West of New South Wales. It's part of Topsoil Organics, a local business that turns organic waste into compost and soil products, and the store sells the things farmers need every week, from fencing gear and stock feed to cattle ramps and crushes.
When Topsoil asked us to help get the store in front of more farmers across the district, we started with the basics. We spent a few days on location in and around Forbes, filming the store, the yard, the products, the people who shop there and the farm from the air at sunset. That footage became a general commercial in 15 and 30sec versions, built to get the phone ringing and bring people through the gate. It went to air on regional TV alongside a new website for the store.
Then came the clever bit. A farm supplies store sells hundreds of things, and one ad can't sell them all. So we built a format that keeps the same opening and closing and swaps the product in the middle. Each product gets a two week run on local TV and radio, then the next one takes its turn. Over the months that's included the Panzer 450, Johnson's horse feed, fencing supplies, Drought Buster, grain for feral pig control, and ramps, crushes and feeders.
The ads run on WIN and Seven, around the footy, the news and the evening shows, and on two local radio stations through the working day, when farmers are in the ute, on the tractor or in the shed.
One of the best decisions was the voice. Instead of a stranger, the ads are voiced by one of the Topsoil team, recorded locally so a new product can be voiced in no time. Customers hear someone they know from the store, and that makes the ads feel like a chat over the counter rather than a sales pitch.
The first product ad went to air on radio a week before it reached TV. Within days, a customer who'd heard it on the radio placed a huge order, and the team were stoked. TV was getting noticed too, with customers mentioning the ads in store. The team now jots down whenever someone says where they heard or saw an ad, which helps us see what's working and plan the next product.
The work has grown well beyond the ads since then, into brand guidelines, websites, brochures and community events. But it started with a few days of filming and one simple idea.
There's plenty here for any regional business to borrow. You don't have to sell everything at once, and one product at a time gives each ad a clear job. A local voice is an asset, so use it. Radio and TV work best together, with the same voice and the same offer in both. And track your results, even if it's just asking customers where they heard about you.
Adbox has been making ads for regional businesses like Topsoil for nearly 20 years, led by our Managing Director and Creative Lead, Aaron Petersen, who has spent more than 30 years in regional advertising. If you've got a product to move, give us a shout and we'll show you how a rolling campaign could work for you.