Brief:
- Deli brand Dietz & Watson partnered with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum on an offbeat social media campaign tied in with tonight's season premiere of hit sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" on the FXX network.
- Inspired by the "rum ham" that has been a running joke on the series since season 7, Dietz & Watson cooked up a recipe made with Sailor Jerry and shared it on Instagram and Twitter. The recipe calls for a Dietz & Watson Tiffany Ham and plenty of 92-proof Sailor Jerry.
- Dietz & Watson’s ad agency Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners is overseeing the rum ham promotion. The Instagram and Twitter posts will be supported with targeted, paid posts.
Insight:
Dietz & Watson's "rum ham" promotion aims to leverage the publicity for the season 14 premiere of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and connect with fans of the long-running FXX sitcom. As a Philadelphia-based brand, Dietz & Watson is a good fit for a show set in the city and its surroundings. Since being featured in a 2011 episode of the sitcom, the rum ham has gained a cult following, inspiring recipes on cooking websites, fan art and merchandise.
It’s looking mighty sunny this week and we’ve got a hankering for rum ham. You too? Here’s a little recipe we whipped up with our friends at @sailorjerry https://t.co/yuVqkuLoyo
— Dietz & Watson (@DietzandWatson) September 23, 2019
Please enjoy responsibly. pic.twitter.com/V7LjPtqzK1
By sharing a suggested recipe for rum ham, Dietz & Watson and Sailor Jerry can connect their brands with a humorous viral meme that younger consumers share on social media. Paid posts will help to extend reach beyond the 10,900 people who follow the brand on Instagram and its 5,400 followers on Twitter. Dietz & Watson's previous online promotions include posts inspired by special occasions that trend on social media, such as National Cheese Pizza Day and National Eat a Hoagie Day, and for fans of hometown teams like the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dietz & Watson has made off-beat humor a signature part of its recent campaigns. The deli brand in January introduced a Super Bowl-themed snack called Dietz Nutz that included a TV spot inspired by the internet meme "Deez Nuts." Instead of shelling out $5 million to run the spot during the big game, Dietz & Watson ran the campaign on targeted digital and social channels.
Witty or off-beat ads appeal to younger consumers who tend to react negatively to overt marketing messages, which explains why brands such as McDonald's, Bush's Beans and Wendy's are incorporating humor in their social media campaigns to boost reactions and social sharing.
