Dive Brief:
- Pom Wonderful is debuting a new multichannel marketing campaign starring the Worry Monsters, big furry creatures who complain that their once-unhealthy humans are making healthier life choices, like exercising and drinking the brand’s pomegranate juice, and aren’t worrying as much, according to a news release.
- The campaign, created by the company’s in-house creative team, includes a one-minute YouTube pre-roll video featuring a Worry Monster breaking the fourth wall and seeming to interact in real time with viewers by listing all the things they should be worrying about. A Pom Wonderful bottle appearing next to the “Skip Ad” button suggests that viewers skip the worry by skipping the ad and drinking Pom Wonderful.
- The Worry Monsters also star in five new commercials, where they create new scenarios for their humans to worry about, but their efforts aren’t having an effect, since the people have embraced healthier lifestyles. The monsters will appear on digital billboards in New York’s Times Square and point out various things that they should be worrying about. A series of “Worrivational Posters,” which twist bad advice, will debut on social media.
Dive Insight:
Pom Wonderful, which refers to a Worry Monster as the “anti-spokesperson,” is using humor to highlight the health benefits of its pomegranate juices and encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles. The brand also may be using humor and the Worry Monsters to draw attention to the growing problem of anxiety while tapping into the burgeoning interest in products and solutions to address anxiety.
By encouraging viewers to skip its YouTube ad, the brand hopes to create a positive brand association with an approach that counters marketing efforts by other brands, which offer incentives for viewers for watching the entire ad. The YouTube spot is likely targeting millennials, who are more likely to embrace healthy lifestyles and are one of the largest user groups of the platform. Most millennials, or 59%, say they only watch YouTube ads until they are allowed to skip them, according to LaunchLeap research.
By breaking the fourth wall and pointing out things viewers should be worrying about, Pom Wonderful is attempting to create memorable experiences for consumers. As marketers continue to experiment with video content, breaking the fourth wall is a tactic that others are using to appeal to consumers. In August, insurance platform Esurance tapped Dennis Quaid in a campaign where the actor speaks directly to viewers about some of the company’s features.
Pom Wonderful has used humor to tackle health issues in past marketing campaigns. In May, the brand debuted “Dolphin,” a multichannel campaign featuring a man living with a dolphin impaled through his chest that symbolizes a “health scare” and focusing its messaging around how people often wait until they have a health issue to take health seriously.
