Savory popsicles: the product no one asked for, the brand nobody has built yet…until now. In this episode of Can They Brand That?®, Semiserious Agency founders Allie LeFevere and Lyndsay Rush Sanders take on a fake dessert brand (yes, savory) and build the whole thing live: name, tagline, brand positioning, voice, visual identity direction, packaging concepts, and ad campaign ideas with just 20 minutes on the clock. No prep. No script. No rules, just right.
Play along in the comments—we want to see your ideas! Tune in every Wednesday at 12p CT for a new episode.
If you work in food & beverage, CPG, or brand strategy, this episode is a real-time case study in humor-first brand building for a niche food concept.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro, Show Rundown, Founder Banter, and Discussing Today’s Branding Challenge: Can They Brand Savory Popsicles?
11:42 Industry Critique: Brainstorming better branding ideas for “The Great Food Truck Tour” by Graza X The Food Network
16:45 The Brainstorm Begins!
17:35 Building a Savory Popsicle Brand From Scratch: Discussing Target Audience and Brand Positioning, Ideating a Brand Identity, Brand Names, Taglines, Brand Voice, Logo, Messaging, Product Design, Visual Identity, Funny Campaigns, Stunts, Activations, and Marketing Strategies for a Weird Food Innovation
44:19 Mascot O’Clock [Funny Mascot Ideas]
49:48 Funded or Done-ded [Would this idea get funded? Should someone hire us to actually brand it?]
Key Branding Ideas from This Episode:
- The art of persuasive branding often hinges on surprising contrasts, like branding savory popsicles as fun, rebellious, or avant-garde because it challenges preconceived notions and sparks curiosity.
- Disruptive branding teaches that a mental shift from logic to emotional intrigue can unlock unexpected market appeal.
- The most memorable brand identities utilize humor through visual gags, wordplay, or cultural references, which create a layered story that resonates beyond the product itself.
- Such humor-oriented branding embeds emotional recall by connecting with cultural archetypes, humor, or nostalgia, making the product stand out amid saturation.
- Crafting a brand story that combines vintage aesthetics with edgy humor or irony can elevate a simple product into a memorable cultural icon.
- Branding acts as a mental reframe, inviting consumers to see the product through a new lens, thus overcoming initial disbelief or disgust.
- Using a persona or mascot adds a layer of personality that contextualizes a product within a story, making abstract or absurd ideas more relatable.
- A brand mascot demonstrates that stories and characters serve as anchors for consumers’ imagination, turning a ‘crazy idea’ into a brand universe that feels authentic or nostalgic.
- Inside jokes, idioms, and cultural references, when embedded in product naming or messaging, foster a sense of insider community that elevates branding from transactional to cultural.
- Brand loyalty is built through shared humor and identity, especially among niche or subcultural audiences.
- The process of rapid, no-judgment ideation encourages lateral thinking and helps unlock underexplored territories of creativity.
- An improvisation mental model emphasizes that constraints often activate ingenuity, pushing creators to think beyond their comfort zone and discover unexpected connections.
Semiserious is a female-founded humor branding agency for CPG brands. Their sweet spot is working with founder-led or venture-backed DTC startups to build brands using comedy as a core strategy to help brands stand out in a crowded market. Their roster includes industry darlings like Clif Bar, Native, Blue Bunny, Waterboy, Pie, Argent, JOI, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Yogi Tea, Choice Organics, GEN Z, The University of Chicago, Alleyoop, Better Than Booze, Backwoods, Bad Rabbit, U Suck at Golf, Hobbyist, and the Dallas Cowboys, but they would never brag about it in their bio. This funny branding agency has offices in Chicago and Nashville, but works with clients globally.
Say hi or snoop around:
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ICYMI, this show exists 1) to champion originality and creativity in a sea of AI slop, 2) to show potential clients the power and value of fun as a consumer-converting strategy, and 3) to bring some much-needed levity into the world where we can.
#HumorBranding #FoodBranding #BrandNaming #BrandSprint #CPGMarketing #FunnyBrands #BrandIdentity #WeirdFood #BrandStrategy #SemiseriousAgency #PopsicleBrand
