Just when you thought the cast of Jersey Shore had cornered the market on oddball orange-skinned TV personalities.
Already an excellent source of beta-carotene, the humble carrot has been given a jolt of testosterone (and estrogen) in a new commercial by the Campbell Company of Canada.
The new ad for Campbell’s V8 V-Fusion beverage uses anthropomorphic carrots to convey the message that each container boasts one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables.
Created by BBDO Toronto, the 30-second “Aftershave Banana” spot opens on an animated male carrot contemplating its skin after shaving. The accompanying voiceover, delivered in the gruff, baritone voice emblematic of male-focused commercials, states: “When you shave, it can leave your skin dry and raw – but Aftershave Banana helps to keep your skin fresh and moist.”
The payoff is delivered via voiceover and super, “All vegetables want to taste like fruit. Now they can,” before showing the V8 V-Fusion product.
It seems a long way from other Campbell campaigns like “M’m! M’m! Good!” and “The Soup that Eats Like a Meal,” but Mark Childs, vice-president of marketing for Campbell in Toronto, said that the campaign is part of a concerted effort by the company to achieve “greater breakthrough” with its marketing efforts.
“We’re trying to get Canadians to notice us a little bit more,” said Childs. “I think this is a great example of what you can expect to see from us: fresher, bigger, more creative ideas that sort of step away from what you’d expect.
“It’s in part because we need to do that in today’s communication world, and we want to drive breakthrough creative for some of the innovative products we’re developing.”
Childs said that the creative approach “absolutely resonated” with the V8 product team when BBDO presented it in mid-July.
“They’ve done it in a way that’s funny, that’s engaging, that’s creative and is certainly getting noticed,” said Childs. “There’s no question when you walk away from seeing that commercial that you’re entertained. It draws you in more and more each time – there are different things you notice every time – but there’s no question once you’ve seen the commercial that you get what V8 V-Fusion is.”
Meanwhile, on the arbiter of cool that is Twitter, the carrot spot has been simultaneously dismissed as “retarded” and “whacked,” while others have professed their love for the spot
Childs said that Campbell is “playing to win” in an “innovation intense” category that boasts competitors such as Quebec-based A. Lassonde and British Columbia-based SunRype.
He characterized the spot as the beginning of what he envisions as a broader-based campaign for the V8 V-Fusion product that will ultimately include other iterations such as a shopper-marketing component.
“We really need to do a big-scale, mass awareness push right now, because the future on this business is very bright,” said Childs. “You need to stand out when it’s a competitive market.”
First launched in 2009, the V8 V-Fusion product is based on the insight that the traditional red vegetable cocktail is not to every consumer’s liking. The flavour profile is fruit, which appeals to both those who don’t like vegetable juices and those who may crave a different flavour at different times of the day. Campbell recently introduced two light versions of the product featuring no artificial sweeteners.
According to Childs, the fruit and vegetable beverage category has ample room for growth in the face of declining vegetable consumption among Canadians. According to Statistics Canada data, 43.3% of Canadians 12+ reported that they consumed fruit and vegetables five or more times a day, down from 45.6% the previous year.
The campaign is currently running only in English Canada, although a Quebec debut utilizing the same creative approach is imminent. “We don’t think it’s an idea that resonates only with English Canadians,” said Childs. “The humour and irony are uniform.”
OMD Canada handled media for the campaign.
