Bryan Cranston Gets Wicked as ‘Cranpus’ in Ocean Spray’s Big Holiday Push

Move over, Santa: There’s a new holiday character in town.

But instead of delivering gifts, he’s hellbent on a single mission: stealing cranberries.

This is Cranpus, the star of Ocean Spray’s new holiday campaign, played by award-winning actor Bryan Cranston. 

With his goat-like horns, beard, and sharp claws, Cranpus is based on Krampus, the demonic mythical figure who accompanies Saint Nicholas and punishes naughty children in European folklore. 

But Cranpus spreads a different kind of mischief. He loves cranberries in all forms, hogging the sauce at the dinner table, swiping it off someone’s sandwich, and pushing aside an unsuspecting karaoke singer to belt out a tune about “cran.”

Ocean Spray introduced Cranpus in an ad rolling out today (Oct. 22) across social media, TV, streaming, and retailers. Cranston, who was chosen partly for his name’s similarity to Cranpus, helped create the “mischievous, playful” character who’s “obsessed with cranberry like no one else,” said Trinh Le, vice president, USA branded at Ocean Spray. 

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The star-powered campaign is Ocean Spray’s biggest marketing push of the year. The holiday season, when cranberry is “most relevant,” is akin to the brand’s “Super Bowl,” Le said. 

“We always want to go big and bold for it,” she added.

The ad sits under the brand’s “Just Add Cran” platform, introduced last year to demonstrate how cranberry can elevate ordinary dishes. Its entire portfolio, from cranberry sauce to Craisins, is on display to show cranberry’s versatility throughout the holiday season, from cocktails to side dishes to garnishes. 

Cranpus as an influencer

Humor is a familiar device in Ocean Spray’s ads, such as in 2023’s installment in which a grandma pours cranberry juice into a punch bowl to liven up a dull office holiday party. “Our campaigns always lean toward humor, wit, and the unexpected,” Le said. 

However, this time, Ocean Spray decided to lean more into storytelling and myth-making–core traditions of the holiday season, Le said. 

The other notable difference is that Cranpus is designed to be just as much a social media personality as a traditional mascot. The character has taken over Ocean Spray’s Instagram account, where he’s giving apartment tours, posting selfies, and showing off his cocktail making skills. Fans can expect “a few more surprises coming in November,” according to Le. 

Ocean Spray enlisted the agency Piggyback, which it previously worked with on social media marketing, to create the campaign with a social-first approach. 

While the campaign targets a broad audience, “we wanted to make sure we’re hitting those younger audiences who may not see [Cranpus] on traditional TV,” Le said. “We didn’t want this to be a traditional ad.”