La-Z-Boy Gets A Handle On Your Social Life With Its AI-Powered Excuse Generator, 'The Decliner'

In an effort to marry its legacy of comfortable recliners with the artificial intelligence (AI) buzz of 2023, La-Z-Boy Incorporated LZB launched on Thursday a marketing campaign featuring a product called "The Decliner."

What Happened: The Monroe, Michigan-based company's national ad campaign titled, "Long Live The Lazy," is coupled with a 30-second spot titled "We The Lazy" that showcases "The Decliner," an AI-powered recliner prototype which allows the owner to generate a cancellation excuse via SMS text simply by pulling a La-Z-Boy’s handle.

Imagine getting a text message from a friend inviting you to a last-minute gathering but you'd rather stay home.

Instead of racking your brain for an excuse, you pull the handle on "The Decliner" and moments later, an A.I.-generated excuse pops up on your phone, ready to be sent: “Sorry, I’m helping my neighbor with a mini-crisis. Rain check?”

Why It Matters: The campaign underscores the company’s attempts to rejuvenate its brand image and appeal to a generation that is increasingly tech-savvy. The novelty of “The Decliner,” beyond the initial intrigue, is introducing the brand to new arenas including mobile gaming and sports networks.

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"La-Z-Boy is focused on reaching a broader set of customers by showing we understand the role our transformational comfort plays in their day-to-day lives," said Christy Hoskins, vice president and chief marketing officer at La-Z-Boy.

"As a result, the brand will show up in places it never has before, including sports networks, streaming music and mobile gaming, all of which perfectly complement moments of laziness."

Understanding how quirky the new "Decliner" is, the company is only making three available to the public via a contest. It is asking users to generate the most unique and creative cancellation excuses to be submitted at TheDecliner.com for a chance to win the chair.

Watch the ad here.

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Photo: La-Z-Boy YouTube screenshot