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An older woman wearing a blazer tiptoes into an office holiday party with a mischievous glint in her eye. This party is dull, but it’s about to liven up, thanks to the secret weapon hidden in her purse: a bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail.
When no one is looking, the woman pours cranberry juice into the punch bowl. One sip is enough to make the bored attendees sway and spin uncontrollably, until the party reaches a fever pitch.
The outlandish scene is part of Ocean Spray’s holiday campaign, “Power Your Party,” and the second chapter in its push to revamp the brand’s dusty image and reach younger consumers.
This latest ad, created by the agency Orchard and directed by Jeff Low, is a companion piece to last year’s campaign, titled “Power Your Holiday” but referred to as “Jiggle.” As in “Jiggle,” an Ocean Spray product turns a holiday gathering upside down and triggers an explosion of wild movement from the guests.
The message in both spots is clear: Cranberry is not just the forgettable sidekick in a meal but the star of the show.
Dusting off a cupboard staple
Starting last year, Ocean Spray took a new creative approach and replaced its long-running “Two guys and a Bog” campaign, in which a pair of farmers stand in a cranberry bog.
Though those commercials were familiar and the 90-year-old brand was a household name, Ocean Spray wanted to ensure it had multigenerational appeal.
With Orchard, the business developed a different strategy for its advertising: “How do we transform boring to fun?” said Monisha Dabek, the brand’s senior vp and chief commercial officer. “And how do we execute that in a way that’s unexpected for Ocean Spray?”
Its 2022 ad celebrated Ocean Spray’s original product: jellied cranberry sauce. Although cranberry sauce has long been a Thanksgiving staple, it’s not exactly the dish that feasters reach for first.
But in “Jiggle,” a Thanksgiving dinner starts out quiet and awkward—until the cranberry sauce arrives on the table. The guests become entranced by the jelly and begin to mirror its wobble. Soon, the entire table is overcome by erratic convulsions, ensuring a holiday that the family won’t soon forget.