PepsiCo brand Crispy Minis is bringing Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy on board to tout the joys of snacking.
In the hero spot, Murphy calls herself a “serious” actress – complete with background photo of Elizabethan garb with Yorick’s skull from Hamlet – and claims there’s no snack that could make her be a pitchperson or use an ad slogan. She then inserts herself into people’s private situations, like restaurant lunches and moments at home, while using what she claims is her own new catchphrase, “that’s crispy.”
Jess Spaulding, CMO at PepsiCo Foods Canada, says previous work for Crispy Minis has focused heavily on functional benefits, namely health and convenience. And while she says that contributed to “strong growth” for the brand, it is now entering a “new era” and shifting the focus to more of an emotional benefit: “the moments of unapologetic joy that Canadians love them for.”
Spaulding tells strategy that while people are clear on the functional benefits of Crispy Minis, there is an opportunity to increase emotional affinity for Crispy Minis. She says the campaign, which invites enjoyment of life’s small pleasures, does just that, helped by Murphy showing up in real-world moments to deliver entertainment value. In fact, the actress was involved in the creative direction, script development and editing process for the English campaign, which Spaulding claims helps convey authenticity.
According to Spaulding, PepsiCo has uniquely Canadian brands in the portfolio like Crispy Minis but also Quaker Harvest Crunch. Agency partner Behaviour has been helping to guide these creatively for about a year.
The commercial is produced by a women-first team, including director Jordan Canning (Fraggle Rock, Schitt’s Creek, Baroness Von Sketch) and writer Anna Drezen (SNL).
The 360-degree campaign is launching “in a big way” this week, including brand integration with The Bachelorette. The 60-second hero spot will play during every episode on Citytv this season, with lower thirds that will celebrate various “crispy” moments throughout the show.
The broader campaign also features cutdowns and eye-catching out-of-home in contextually relevant placements.
“Every year, we are seeing more and more Canadians choose Crispy Minis to deliver moments of joy, so this campaign represents a significant step-up in support,” Spaulding notes.
In Quebec, actress and comedian Marie-Lyne Joncas is set to partner with Crispy Minis as regional spokesperson. The campaign is supported by public relations agency Citizen Relations, media buying agency OMD and social media marketing agency Praxis.
