Dive Brief:

• Oscar Mayer will give consumers who correctly sing “The Bologna song” from its iconic 1974 ad spot a chance to win an Instacart gift card, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The Kraft Heinz brand re-aired the original commercial during the Thanksgiving Day football game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. The spot will be promoted in channels including online video and YouTube with support from media company Group Black.
• The effort, co-created with agencies Johannes Leonardo and The Kitchen, is billed as the first time a brand has accepted singing as a form of payment and demonstrates how brands continue to utilize nostalgia for their classic assets.

Dive Insight:

Oscar Mayer first taught consumers how to spell bologna 50 years ago with what it claims is the longest-running jingle in advertising history. By re-airing the classic spot, the Kraft Heinz marketer is hoping to tap into nostalgia for a classic ad that — even at first airing — was intended to “cement” the legacy of a brand that was founded in 1883.

“We knew this anniversary was a moment that needed to be celebrated in a big way, both for those who remember and those that are new,” said Oscar Mayer Brand Manager Shelby Max in a statement.

To update the ad, Oscar Mayer launched a “Sing to Pay” effort wherein consumers can submit audio of a correct rendition of “The Bologna song” at SingtoPay.com for a chance to win a $50 Instacart eGift Card, per contest rules. One thousand prizes will be awarded for submissions made Dec. 2 through Dec. 15 in an activation that demonstrates the growing need for CPG brands to tie-up with popular delivery services like Instacart.

The campaign is a joint effort by agencies Johannes Leonardo and The Kitchen, with public relations by Zeno Group, paid media by Carat and owned social media by The Kitchen. In addition to the ad spot, the brand will bring the Sing to Pay effort to consumers through an experiential activation with the Wienermobile through Dec. 15.

“This a rare chance to breathe new life into an iconic commercial, while using the product to create a fun connection across generations that often don’t understand each other,” said Lex Beltrone, executive creative director at Johannes Leonardo, in a statement. 

While few brands re-air the exact commercials they ran decades prior, many marketers this year have tapped into nostalgia — either real or perceived — for their old campaigns and brand assets. Life cereal again revived its picky-eater “Mikey” character that first appeared in commercials in the early ’70s, while Levi’s remade a memorable spot from the ‘80s with Beyoncé.

Kraft Heinz saw net sales decrease 2.8% in Q3 2024, with the company citing in its earnings report “continued shifts in consumer behavior due to economic uncertainty and a decline in Lunchables,” the ready-to-eat meals marketed by Oscar Mayer. Previously, the company appointed former Pepsi marketer Todd Kaplan as CMO of its North America business.