What happens when two branding strategists attempt to rebrand Craisins, the dried cranberry nobody asked for? In this episode of Can They Brand That?®, Semiserious Agency pitches a full brand identity: from tone of voice to taglines to campaign concepts for Ocean Spray @oceanspray.
So, just in time for Thanksgiving, we set our brains on the queen of cranberries, the craisin trademark owners, and the underdog (or should we say underbog?) of the fruit world.
From tart-tan merch and office fruit jargon, all the way to a UTI charity event and a jellied cranberry sauce log balloon floating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, we put on our cranberry-colored goggles to give this brand the pitch and punch-up it deserves. Hosted by: Allie LeFevere and Lyndsay Rush Sanders
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro, Show Rundown, Ocean Spray Brand Audit, and Cranberry Banter
02:52 The Brainstorm Begins!
12:00 Pitching Ocean Spray: Brand Refresh Ideas & Our Best and Wildest Campaign, Stunt, and Seasonal Activation Ideas About Craisins
34:58 Mascot O’Clock [Mascot Ideation]
42:15 Hired or Fired [Should Ocean Spray Hire Us? Best Ideas in Review]
Key Branding Ideas from This Episode:
- The best brand ideas come from amplifying the ridiculous rather than trying to explain or justify the product’s benefits.
- This shifts the mental model from traditional benefit-driven marketing to a playful, memorable identity that cuts through clutter and sticks in minds.
- Injecting a product into playful cultural phenomena like a cranberry craze or festival creates a mental shortcut that makes the brand stick.
- Subverting expected roles amplifies personality.
- This principle allows brands to develop distinctive personas that resonate through humor and relatability, breaking from generic archetypes.
- The power of visual hyperbole over rational messaging.
- This elevates brand communication from informational to visceral, making impressions that are more emotionally engaging and shareable.
- Cultural and regional language variations can inspire humor and distinctions.
- Understanding linguistic nuances allows brands to craft voice and humor that resonate more authentically with target audiences.
- Elevating everyday objects through storytelling transforms the mundane into memorable.
- Reframing the ordinary as legendary or playful taps into consumer nostalgia and engagement, making routine products desirable in new ways.
- Focusing less on product benefits and more on creating quirky, humorous stories or characters minimizes sales talk but maximizes brand recall.
- This mental shift encourages brands to prioritize wit and personality over rational persuasion, fostering emotional 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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🌐 Work with Semiserious: https://semiseriousagency.com/
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.
#OceanSprayBranding #CanTheyBrandThat #HumorBranding #BrandStrategy #FunnyMarketing #OceanSprayRebrand
