Problem
Twizzlers was becoming a forgotten brand, with their national category position dropping steadily from #1 to #5 in the previous 4 years alone.
Insight
With a combination of quantitative and qualitative research, we found that Twizzlers' flippy-floppy format made it a disarming stress reliever in people's minds. And in a world where people take things way too seriously, people need loosening up more than ever.
Solution
Armed with our disarming insight, we sharpened the product role with a fresh new twist: Twizzlers is the most delicious way to loosen up. This led to the "You Can't Be Serious with Twizzlers" campaign, which included 7 disruptively un-serious TV spots, hundreds of social posts designed to loosen people up from ultra-serious newsfeed scrolling, a partnership with the MLB where we created a Twizzlering Cam to loosen up serious fans on a jumbotron, and a partnership with Facebook to create their first branded lens.
Results
This campaign drove double-digit growth for Twizzlers core business (Twists). Shortly after launch, sales were up +10% after being down -10% a year prior. And not only did people buy the product- they bought the idea. In response to our campaign, fans created a social movement around “#Twizzlering” where hundreds of people filmed themselves poking serious friends in the face with Twizzlers as a way to loosen them up.
Team
Strategy Director: Yours Truly
Creative Directors: Quinn Katherman, D’Arcy O’Neill
Account Directors: Rob Hofferman, Travis Reeb
Communications Strategist: Chris Shewmake
Senior Strategist: Nicole Hering