The Genius Of Ocean Spray's "Jiggle-Jiggle" Ad Is What It Doesn't Say Out Loud
When I think of Ocean Spray I think of that old “two guys in a bog” campaign that ran for years. I don’t think about people jiggling uncontrollably around a Thanksgiving table. At least I didn’t. This new hilarious spot from Ocean Spray works on multiple levels, from the its sheer creative audacity to its powerful embedded strategic message. Let’s break it down.
I’ve never seen anything like this before.
The spot immediately builds tension by showing a family around a Thanksgiving table in the silence of boredom. No talking, no movement, nothing. This tension makes the viewer curious. We’re leaning in.
The host plops down three cans of cranberries still conforming to the cylindrical shape of their respective cans. Naturally, the cans jiggle a bit after the host lets go. The guests are entranced at first by the jiggling and then inspired to jiggle themselves. At first a little, then a lot. And then, OMG.
What?
When I first saw this, I was thinking “What the hell am I watching?” All of these people who were silent are now twitching, jerking, and jiggling like lunatics around a Thanksgiving table. All because of the cranberries.
My point here is I’ve been in advertising for a long, long time, and the holy grail of creative development is to do something never done before. So from an inside baseball standpoint, well played, Ocean Spray. I have never seen anything like this before.
But this is far from gratuitous creative (which I can’t stand). There is a powerful strategy embedded in this ad and almost subliminal that I bet sells lots more cranberries this Thanksgiving.
Ocean Spray normalizes cans—cans!—of cranberries at Thanksgiving.
It’s always a let-down when it’s Thanksgiving and someone asks, “Are these fresh cranberries?” And you have to answer, “Um, no. They’re from a can.” Which only makes the guest wish he didn’t ask. But this ad begins to remove that stigma and normalize cans of cranberries at Thanksgiving.
First, the ad not only doesn’t shy away from the ugly truth about cranberries in a can—that they remain molded in that can-shape—the ad kisses this truth on the lips when the host plops three three towers of cranberry still in can-shape onto the table! He doesn’t even try to pretend that the cranberries he’s serving are fresh. Nah, they’re from a can and I don’t care.
That visual of cranberries in the can shape normalizes cranberries in a can on Thanksgiving. But that’s just the beginning.
The other truth about cranberries—the fact these can-shaped extrusions jiggle—then becomes the inspiration for the tension-breaking humor as the family is overcome with the urge to jiggle themselves.
It’s hilarious to watch (imagine the casting sessions for this one!), but more importantly the fun of it disarms our preconceived notions that cans of cranberries are tacky on a Thanksgiving table. Which only further normalizes cranberries in a can at Thanksgiving.
It’s unexpected creative meets strategy.
It seems lately that marketers have stopped taking chances creatively with their brands. I don’t mean gratuitous creative chances, but smart, strategic, but still wildly creative chances. This spot from Ocean spray is wildly creative and could be tagged as gratuitously so, were it not for the fact it does such a great job of tackling an image problem at Thanksgiving.
We have Thanksgiving at our house every year. I’m going to try plopping a couple can-shaped servings on the table and see what happens. If nothing, ah well. If everyone starts to jiggle, I’ll know this spot cut through the cultural malaise and clutter.
Will Burns is a brand consultant and Founder/CEO of Ideasicle X. Follow him on Twitter @WillOBurns.