AEG Powertools faced two significant hurdles when launching their new range of professional outdoor power equipment. They needed to break into an established market and overcome tradies’ loyalty to petrol-powered tools. With Battery Believers, we set out to change perceptions by delivering a clever and hands-on demonstration that would convince even the most skeptical petrol heads of the power of battery-operated tools.
The challenge was twofold: raising brand awareness for AEG Powertools, a new entrant in the professional outdoor power equipment market, and dismantling the belief that petrol-powered tools are superior to battery-powered alternatives. Tradies were especially resistant to battery-operated tools, convinced that they couldn’t match petrol in power, durability, or reliability. Our mission was to shift this mindset and make tradies believe in the performance of AEG’s battery-powered tools.
To tackle these misconceptions, we created a clever product demonstration with a twist. We disguised AEG’s new battery-powered chainsaw as a petrol model, complete with a fake fuel tank, and set up a demo station outside a garden supplies store. Tradies were invited to test the ‘prototype petrol chainsaw,’ branded as the BEL1 E.V.E. They marveled at the low vibration, lack of fumes, quiet operation, and push-button start, all assuming it was an advanced petrol model. The reveal? The chainsaw wasn’t powered by petrol at all—it ran on a battery.
Their genuine surprise and reactions were captured on video, showcasing their immediate shift in perception once the battery was revealed. This hands-on approach shattered preconceptions and allowed tradies to see the advantages of battery power for themselves.
The Battery Believers campaign successfully shifted tradies’ views on battery-powered tools. By directly challenging their assumptions with a clever product demonstration, we helped AEG build credibility in a tough, petrol-dominated market. The reveal of the battery power led to genuine surprise and positive reactions, proving that AEG’s tools could compete with—and even outperform—their petrol counterparts.
