Ocean Spray Launches Hilarious Ad Series with Orchid Creative

Ocean Spray has teamed up with agency Orchid Creative in a hilarious new campaign.

The juice brand unveiled its latest marketing initiative "Just Add Cran," which comes with several new spots posing its drink as the solution to real-life problems.

In the 50-second ad "Dating," a woman stars in the fictional game show "Just Add Love," where she sits next to a wall blocking her from two potential romantic candidates. 

"I'm looking for someone sweet but not too sweet," she tells the talk show host. 

On the other side of the wall is Ocean Spray's "Johnny the Farmer" who tells the audience to "just add Cran."

Suddenly, the entire set is filled with cranberries, covering everyone from the torso down. The woman is enticed and lets Johnny know she's listening. 

"You know, sometimes the very thing you've been looking for your entire life has been standing right in front of you, staring at you the whole time," Johnny tells her wholeheartedly.

"And I guess the question you have to ask yourself is: Do I have the guts to reach out and take what I want," he adds. 

Sold with his sweet talk, the woman chooses Johnny and grabs the bag of Ocean Spray from him, devouring it in front of the audience as the spot closes.

In "Diner," a customer tells the waitress she's trying to cut down on sugar.

Johnny makes his appearance by the counter, telling her to "just add cran."

The entire diner is then occupied by a sea of cranberries as he hands a bottle of Ocean Wave Zero Sugar Cranberry Juice to her. 

"You're right," she says as she takes a gulp, and the commercial ends.

"Video Call" kickstarts in an online work conference, which the Ocean Spray Farmer then requests to join. 

Confused, the attendees give each other a look as Johnny hands a bottle of Cran-Mango to the person beside him.

Johnny then offers the boss a Cran-Pineapple, only if he could admit that the video call could have been an email.

Capturing Gen Z with Comedy

Through the latest adverts, Ocean Spray hopes to gain traction among new and younger audiences, maintaining its appeal to Gen X and millennials while drawing Gen Z.

Monisha Dabek, Ocean Spray SVP and chief commercial officer, explains the idea behind the comedic spots. 

"In our new campaign, we take this effort a step further as we 'Just Add Cran' to everyday moments — bringing our farmer and bog into relatable scenarios that resonate with that younger audience," she shared. 

"In doing so, we're tapping into more of a higher emotional connection with this audience and showcasing cranberry's transformational power — all while striking the balance of relatability, culture, and our bog-driven equity."

 

 

 

 

 

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Apart from the deadpan humor, what makes the ads particularly impressive is their use of practical effects, utilizing "bog tanks" in its studio sets, and submerging the actors in the sea of cranberry. 

"We wanted to ensure that the water and the floating cranberries reacted realistically to any movement from our new cranberry farmer) and the other actors," Conor Dooley, Orchid's creative director, detailed. 

The spots will continue to run in the coming months across digital, social media, TV, and more. 

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Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang