small town stor(i)es.

THE GOAL: increase consideration for dollar general with suburban americans.

THE PROBLEM: approximately 80% of dollar general stores are located in communities of 20,000 or fewer people. the dollar general brand is considered “low value” as a result.

THE SOLUTION: america’s general store. dollar general goes where the big box chains don’t: right to your hometown.

a print and out-of-home campaign positioning dollar general as the neighborhood general store that understands small town america.

A Dollar General store at night with brightly lit yellow sign, showing outdoor display racks of clothing, snacks, and a plastic chair near the entrance.
A large billboard featuring a man sitting shirtless on a porch with a town street in the background, alongside text promoting Dollar General and its products, including ice, sweet tea, and pitchers.

art director: chen li

we found photography we loved for a series of out-of-homes about small town life and shopping at the store in town, AKA, the dollar general.

A street with four boys riding bicycles, some on the sidewalk, some on the road, in a small town with houses and trees, with a large green tree on the right, power lines, trucks, and a distant hill, overlaid with the text "There's a gap in the fence the boys like to crawl through. Jason scratches himself up, as usual. 'A cat did it,' he says. Time to swing by the store and grab bandages, and ointment, and a bag full of army men, to keep him busy. Maybe even keep him inside for once." and a yellow border with a Dollar General logo and the tagline "America's General Store."
A woman dressed in patriotic red, white, and blue clothing with a large red hat and an American flag bandana, smiling outdoors. Overlaid text reads a humorous poem about a granny, cayenne pepper, and grocery shopping, with a yellow border and Dollar General logo at the bottom.

eye-level out-of-homes in high foot traffic areas and print placements in magazines catch people during their day-to-day, while they’re thinking of errands and to-do lists.

A man in a cowboy hat and plaid shirt walking past a red brick wall with white painted text that reads 'JET FUEL' and 'DIAMOND ST', with a large digital billboard advertising Dollar General store. The billboard features an image of a small town street with kids riding bikes and includes a quote about keeping a boy inside.
A poster at a bus stop showing a woman dressed in patriotic red, white, and blue, with a large red hat and a scarf with elements of the American flag. The poster includes text about her knowing who you are and references to cayenne pepper. The bottom has a label for Dollar General, which reads "America's General Store." The scene is outdoors with pedestrians walking nearby and clear weather.
Three magazines titled 'Reader's Digest', 'Southern Living', and an open magazine with a photo of a man on a porch and an advertisement for Dollar General, lying on a black surface.
A suburban street scene at sunset with a purple and orange sky, power lines, and houses. A red vintage station wagon is parked on the street. Text overlay with a poem about kisses, mints, and humor, framed by a yellow border with Dollar General branding and slogan.