Jif tackles ‘celery neglect’ on game day with free peanut butter

Dive Brief:

Peanut-butter brand Jif is on a mission to stop “celery neglect” in game day snacking, per a press release. “Save the Celery” addresses how celery is often discarded on game day and encourages consumers to pair it with Jif instead.
On Feb. 11, the day of the Super Bowl, consumers can visit a microsite to receive a free jar of Jif sent to them via food delivery service GoPuff. “Save the Celery” will span TV, video and social media nationally along with a tie-up with influencer Jessie James Decker.
Additionally, consumers in select New York City sports bars will receive Jif-To-Go samples and be driven to the campaign’s microsite via QR code materials. The campaign will also have a presence on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, “The Bill Simmons Podcast” and YouTube celebrity talk show “Hot Ones.”

Dive Insight:

J.M. Smucker Co. brand Jif is promoting its pairing potential with celery, an often-discarded food at viewing parties for live sporting events like the Super Bowl. Each year, Americans eat over 1 billion wings during the big game, per data cited in release details, and while celery is often served as a side, only 14% of consumers prefer it. “Save the Celery” could help resurrect celery’s potential as a game-day snack while playfully touting the value of Jif.

Central to Jif’s campaign is its microsite, www.savethecelery.com, which details how football fans can “make a snack to make a difference” by combining Jif with celery. Consumers can visit the site on Feb. 11 at 4:30 p.m. ET to claim a free jar of Jif delivered by GoPuff, while supplies last. Paired with the effort is a 90-second “Celery Sorrows” spot, which doubles down on the campaign’s message with scenes of celery being tragically discarded before one individual realizes the veggie’s potential when paired with peanut butter.

The campaign was created in partnership with PSOne, Publicis Groupe’s bespoke Power of One solution for J.M. Smucker Co., led by creative agency BBH USA.

“Jif wanted to hack the biggest dip day of the year with a dip you never see at the party – peanut butter. And once we realized we had the perfect way in with discarded celery, it was a no brainer,” said Peter Defries, group creative director, BBH USA, in press details.

Jif will spread word of its campaign through multiple media collaborations. Among them is a tie-up with Barstool Sports around its “Pardon My Take” sports podcast, which will highlight the campaign during three live reads on pre-game episodes in addition to posting on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. The campaign will also be plugged on the podcast of Bill Simmons, founder of sports website The Ringer, via unscripted host reads.

In the week leading up to the big game on Feb. 11, Jif will sponsor the “Truth or Dab” segment on popular celebrity show “Hot Ones,” a YouTube series that challenges celebrity guest stars to try various mega-hot wings. The segment will include former NFL player Spice Adams answering personal questions, unless he chooses to “plead the Jif” and save the celery, per information shared with Marketing Dive. The collaboration could help to extend the Jif campaign to a broader audience beyond football fans.

To round out the effort, a number of New York City sports bars will have Jif-To-Go samples and branded “Save the Celery” coasters, stickers and wing liners that include a QR code that leads those who scan it to the campaign’s microsite. Jif is also encouraging consumers to use the hashtag #SaveTheCelery on social media with posts that feature celery covered in Jif for the chance to be reposted on the brand’s Instagram on game day.

Jif’s campaign aligns it with a number of other marketers foregoing a traditional Super Bowl commercial this year while still seeking to tap into the hype, a move that could be explained by the whopping $7 million price tag for a 30-second in-game advertisement. For instance, Molson Coors is passing on a big game ad to instead offer 1,000 QR code-emblazoned jerseys to consumers for a “Running of the Beer Ads” program. Earlier this month, Totino’s Pizza Rolls teamed with comedian Pete Davidson for a campaign promoting the perks of the bite-sized pizza snacks over traditional pies for game-day watch parties.