Feel The Power of Cranberries, Ocean Spray Tells Consumers
Can you feel the Power? Ocean Spray can – when it comes to cranberries.
The 92-year-old, Massachusetts-based cranberry producer announced the launch of a new marketing campaign this week, called “What will you do with all that Power?”, which looks to modernize the brand’s image while educating consumers on the company’s diverse product portfolio and the nutritional benefits of cranberries.
The Power campaign will feature TV and digital ad spots using “custom animation to evoke the inherent power of the cranberry, inspired by the farmers, the science, and the history of North America’s original superfruit,” the company said in the announcement. The campaign was developed in partnership with AOR Lightning Orchard and the videos were produced and animated by Dress Code.
“What attracted us to this project was the potential to help reinvent a classic. The concept Lightning Orchard came up with of revealing the power contained within a cranberry was an exciting one that had a ton of potential,” said Dan Covert, executive creative director of Dress Code, in a release. “What resonated with us all was a retro, cut paper aesthetic that doesn’t feel like anything else out there in the space. The work was bold and unexpected in its simplicity and clarity.”
According to Dan Hamilton, head of Ocean Spray’s Marketing Center of Excellence, the new campaign is “a total departure” from the company’s past messaging. In an email to BevNET today, he noted that many consumers think of Ocean Spray “primarily as a juice company rather than a cranberry company,” and the new campaign will promote the entirety of its product offerings. Though billed as a brand refresh, the actual packaging and labels of Ocean Spray’s products will remain the same.
“The purpose is to elicit reappraisal of the cranberry – and of Ocean Spray,” Hamilton said. “We have pressure tested the approach through rounds of qualitative consumer research, to confirm the campaign’s potential of retaining the millions of new households that have come into the brand over [the] last 2 years, ensuring we will keep, and grow, our base volume.”
The new effort comes on the heels of an unexpected moment in the spotlight for the legacy cranberry producer. In September 2020, TikTok user Nathan Apodaca – aka 420doggface208 – posted a viral video of him drinking a bottle of Ocean Spray’s Cran-Raspberry juice while skateboarding down the street, set to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” The post gained over 13 million views in its first week and inspired users to recreate the video themselves (including Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes). The company later ran a version of the video as a television ad and, in return for the publicity, gifted Apodaca a new truck.
Now, that experience is helping influence the Power campaign, Hamilton said. While there is no official “call to action” for TikTok, the message of the new marketing effort is aimed at Millennials and Gen Xers and seeks to push “the boundaries beyond the standard tonality and aesthetics of the category” with a modernized look and feel.
“We’ve built a holistic media plan that will drive awareness and engagement with Millennials and Gen Xers, while also continuing to reach our current core consumers,” he wrote. “Our TV buy is targeted to women 25-54, while the massive digital buy will reach younger, multicultural consumers, including Gen Z, who align well with our brand persona, with strong social focus on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest. We are also employing purchase-based targeting to reach both lapsed and current buyers of our juice and dried fruit products.”
Essentia’s ‘Stop for Nothing’ Campaign Doesn’t Stop
Nestlé-owned alkaline water brand Essentia announced this month a continuation of its 2021 “Stop for Nothing” ad campaign, featuring NBA star Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and singer-songwriter Tate McRae.
According to a press release, the campaign originally launched last year and featured McRae and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Built around a message of “maintaining resilience by taking a moment to pause and hydrate,” the new edition of “Stop for Nothing” will emphasize messages like self-care and keeping your mind and body focused to achieve your goals.
The campaign was created in partnership with creative agency Droga5 and features 6-, 15- and 30-second commercial spots that will air on digital and social platforms, including Hulu, YouTube and NBC Universal.
“This campaign underscores the importance of taking care of yourself so you can continue chasing your dreams, and focus on the things that are important to you,” Zola Kane, head of marketing at Essentia, said in the release. “Our partners personify that extraordinary combination of grit and determination we not only admire, but strive to inspire through our products and campaigns. We are both proud and humbled to be working with these superstars.”
Annie Agar Joins Rowdy Energy
As the company rolls out its new calorie burning Power Burn product line, Rowdy Energy announced it has added Bally Sports correspondent and TikTok star Annie Agar to its roster of brand ambassadors.
Agar is best known for her sports parody videos and will work with the brand on social media, promotions and giveaway events.
“When it comes to creating content, just like with the NFL: there’s no off-season. I’m always on the go trying to produce the best content for my followers,” Agar said in a statement. “I need an energy drink that won’t slow me down, which is exactly why I only drink Rowdy Energy.”