Struggling to think of ways to celebrate a 20th birthday or anniversary? For Staples, "that was easy."
Staples is reviving its iconic Easy Button used in many advertising campaigns in the 2000s. The office supply retailer based in Framingham, Massachusetts, announced the red button's comeback in a news release on Wednesday, May 28.
Originally launched in 2005, the Easy Button was a huge sensation in offices and schools nationwide. The catchphrase, "That was easy," grew into a widely known pop culture reference in the 2000s, far beyond shoppers looking for pens or printers.
Staples is trying to capture the Easy Button's magic in a digital era with less paper, more remote work, and very different needs for customers.
"The Easy Button stood for more than convenience," said Marshall Warkentin, the US retail president for Staples. "It represented how Staples took the stress out of getting things done. Twenty years later, that promise still holds true -- just in more meaningful ways. We now support customers with a breadth of services and solutions, from print and marketing to tech support, shipping, travel, returns, and more."
The Easy Button campaign started in 2005, reaching tens of millions of Americans through a commercial during Super Bowl XXXIX. The ad became so popular, Staples began selling actual Easy Buttons that said the catchphrase when pressed.
Staples is hoping the button makes an easy transition into the social media age.
The retailer is launching a new ad campaign that aims to bring "a fresh, witty voice to today's conversations about work." Staples started by teasing the Easy Button's return in staged "paparazzi" pictures on Instagram with influencers like NSYNC singer Lance Bass, reality TV star Kordell Beckham, and TikTok stars Caroline Deery and Nia Ivy.
The Easy Button will also join hustle-culture figures sharing "a lot of feelings" about corporate life on LinkedIn. Staples has even teased a "podcast" with the button as host.
The company said it wants to make modern work life a little funnier and, of course, easier.
"This campaign is more than a cultural comeback, it's a bold reintroduction of the Easy Button and what it represents for consumers and businesses in 2025," Staples chief marketing officer Amy Steel Vanden-Eykel said. "Staples has evolved as a business and as a brand, and we're excited to share how our team of experts today is making work and life easier than ever before. Through this clever, humorous campaign, we're personifying "E.B." the Easy Button and putting him back into the spotlight in fresh, relevant ways that will resonate with today's customers."
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, Staples is offering customers a free Easy Button with any $50 purchase in-store or online through Saturday, June 7, while supplies last.
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