Country Time taps programmatic OOH to advocate for lemonade stands

Dive Brief:

Kraft Heinz brand Country Time is leveraging programmatic media for a new out-of-home (OOH) push in states where operating lemonade stands is illegal, according to information provided to Marketing Dive. The new ads, which launched the week of June 24, are part of the brand's Legal-Ade cause-marketing campaign that's in its second year and is focused on helping consumers change permit laws regarding lemonade stands.
Consumers in several cities, including Phoenix, Milwaukee, Boise and Philadelphia, saw billboard messaging customized for the region where they appeared. The copy for one ad read: "Running a lemonade stand in Boise could get you fined $335. Countrytimelegalade.com. #LegalizeLemonade."
The campaign was executed through a partnership with OOH programmatic exchange Place Exchange, OOH network Lamar Advertising, media agency Starcom and advertising platform Amobee.

Dive Insight:

With promising results from a similar effort last year, lemonade brand Country Time is once again using lemonade stand legislation as a platform for its summer campaign. Country Time's update to last year's "Legal-Ade," which drove close to 1 billion impressions on Twitter and Instagram, comes as the trend for purpose-driven marketing continues to intensify. Digital OOH ads are also on the upswing, and Country Time's use of programmatic to deliver ads that are customized by region makes the messaging more personal, which could help drive engagement with the campaign elements as consumers look for ways to support lemonade stand legislation in their own community.

As digital OOH advertising grows, more programmatic-driven campaigns are emerging. A recent campaign for Kylie Jenner's new skincare line was reportedly the largest-ever programmatic OOH campaign, reaching audiences simultaneously in over 1,100 U.S. cities, including locations on Las Vegas Boulevard and in New York City's Times Square.

According to Country Time, lemonade stands are legal in just 15 of the 50 states. In the past year, both Texas and Colorado updated their laws and now allow kids to sell lemonade. Country Time can continue the opportunity to boost its brand through social conversations about a seemingly ridiculous law.

A branded site for this year's campaign will let parents whose kids have received fines for operating a lemonade stand submit claims to be reviewed by the "Country Time Legal-Ade" team and reimbursed up to $300. The brand is also calling on kids to promote their lemonade stands on social media channels by adding the @CountryTime handle to their posts.

Brands are connecting their image to causes to insert themselves into conversations about political or social issues. Lemonade stands and ordinances against them might seems like a lighter take on purpose marketing, but the effort may help Country Time tap into older consumers' sense of nostalgia for their own childhood lemonade stands while providing tools to help them make a difference in their communities and teach kids about entrepreneurship.