5 of the Most Interesting Food Advertisements Right Now

After working in nearly every segment of the food industry for over 30 years, we have developed deep category insights into the consumer behavior and motivations that drive the purchasing, preparation, and consumption of food. As part of this process we’re constantly monitoring food advertising for trends, strategies, and creative inspiration from products and companies in this arena.

Each quarter we publish a sampling of noteworthy recent work from the worlds of Commodity, Packaged Foods, and Branded Produce with the purpose of informing and inspiring those with similar interests. Here are a few that caught our attention in the third quarter of 2018.

Sanderson Farms “Talking Chickens”

Sanderson Farms uses a humorous talking chicken in a new campaign designed to publicize their poultry’s freshness and value. One spot finds our shivering hero chicken on an ice floe with a group of penguins, making the point that Sanderson never freezes its chicken. Another commercial shows the chicken awkwardly accepting an unwanted gift that a couple has bought him during their recent cruise – a Fabergé-style egg. “Don’t spend too much on chicken,” says the tongue-in-cheek voice over. The off-the-cuff comments of the chicken juxtapose nicely with the comedic scenarios and deliver the brand’s selling messages in an amusing and entertaining way.

Chef Boyardee “Start the Par-dee”

A new ad for Chef Boyardee’s “Throwback Recipes” stars 21-year-old rapper Lil Yachty together with 60-year-old former pop idol Donny Osmond in a campy, retro-styled music video. The brand’s vintage tagline of “Thank goodness for Chef Boyardee” is also prominently featured via a sped-up sample loop. The intentionally over-the-top spot mixes nostalgia and modern irony in an attempt to become relevant with both boomers and millennials. It’s definitely attention-getting, but will the silly scenes and auto-tuned jingle make people want to eat old-fashioned canned ravioli?

Snickers “Elton Raps”

Snickers’ long-running “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign has featured celebrities ranging from Betty White and Willem Dafoe to divas Aretha Franklin and Liza Minnelli. Now, Sir Elton John stars in a spot in which American rapper Boogie is temporarily possessed by the iconic rock superstar. It’s another fun installment in the popular series. It shows how being hungry can knock you off your game, which is why you should “Grab a Snickers.”

Organic Valley “Gheelish any Dish”

Organic Valley has posted a digital campaign that literally puts its name in influencers’ mouths. “Ghee” is a clarified butter product that can be substituted for oil and butter in cooking. So naturally, Organic Valley went ahead and digitally substituted Ghee into actual existing online cooking videos. They used culinary influencers including Food Network’s Katie Lee and YouTube stars like Momma Cherri and Kent Rollins. Now, whenever they mention butter or oil in their videos, it’s replaced with an intentionally low-quality dubbing and superimposed logos. The effect is reminiscent of badly bleeping a swear word, making it both funny and memorable.

Maxwell House “Labor Day”

For Labor Day, Maxwell House provided people with more than a mere coffee break. They gave all Americans a chance to win a full paid day off. The brand invited folks to post a photo of someone working from September 1st to 3rd, using the hashtag @Maxwell_House. One thousand prepaid Visa cards were awarded at random, and the winners are now posted on a microsite supporting the campaign. The page also includes a video featuring Ohio truck driver Ron Kline, who hasn’t missed a workday in 53 years. According to Maxwell House, the brand has fueled America’s workforce with coffee for 125 years. They understand the true meaning of Labor Day is to honor hard-working Americans, not just to take a final long weekend before summer ends and school starts. Thanks Maxwell House. And keep the caffeine coming.

Want to see what food, branded produce, and CPG brands made our list last quarter? Here’s Kirk’s food advertising round-up from June.