HORNBACH, the European DIY superstore, has an eternal mission to remind customers of the joy of creating something from nothing with their bare hands and to motivate them to start their projects. However, this mission faces an eternal enemy: laziness. People passively spend their days mindlessly scrolling and swiping. HORNBACH needed to send a clear message to encourage people back to productivity and, ultimately, happiness.

HORNBACH decided to give a platform to those who yearn for a meaningful project more than anyone else: their hands. The campaign let the hands take over and express their legitimate frustration, all with a single call: “Obey your hands,” because they know what’s best for you.

To remind customers of the elementary joy of doing things, HORNBACH built its campaign around two brand ambassadors who are intimately familiar with this need: their hands. After years of misuse, these hands have ample reason to complain. In the campaign film, years of frustration drive the hands to take matters into their own, well, hands.

The film shows a man’s rebellious hands revolting against him, dragging him off his couch. In an epic, fierce battle, the renegade hands punch, slap, and throw the protagonist around his neglected house, compelling him to finally tackle his unfinished project. As both he and the audience realize, this was what he truly needed to find happiness. The campaign is capped off with a simple call: “Obey Your Hands.” Because they know what’s good for you.