C L AUSSEN PICKLES:
creative brief
Flick It Paper Towel Wrap
Just Fork It
Shake It
TECHNIQUE
Dill genuine, kosher, polish, german Sweet bread and butter, no-salt, sweet/hot Sour + Half-Sour
Whole Midget Gherkin Halves Slices Spears Chips Strips Chunks Salad cubes Relish
Entrees: blue ribbon fair specials
RECIPES
Refrigerated Fresh Packed Processed
STYLES
Pickled Peppers jalapenos, pepperoncinis, banana peppers Specialty Products asparagus, cocktail onions, sauerkraut
PICKLES
America was named for a pickle peddler -- Amerigo Vespucci
Sandwich: on or off... you choose
Pickled cucumbers were used to prevent scurvy among crew members. Stand Alone: craving killer
Americans have been eating pickles since Christopher Columbus’ arrival
Cocktails: poor man’s way to be classy... the pickle juice martini
Cucumber = Cuce
Nicholas Appert constructed the first pickle plant in America in 1820.
During WWII the U.S. Government tagged 40 percent of all pickle production for the ration kits of the armed forces.
HISTORY Pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservation, discovered at the dawn of civilization, thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia
WORD PLAY "In a pickle" was first introduced by Shakespeare in his play, The Tempest. "How cam'st thou in this pickle?" "I have been in such a pickle"
Many cultures have historically fermented foods by burying them underground, producing a rotted, yet edible delicacy.
“I got a pickle, I got a pickle, I got a pickle HEY HEY HEY HEY!” -The Little Rascals
A common figurative sense for the word pickle is "troublesome situation"—as in "you’ve gotten us into a pretty pickle."
THE CLAUSSEN H WHAT HAPPENED TO C.F. CLAUSSEN + SONS BEFORE 1970??
“YOU’LL LOVE ‘EM ONCE YOU FIND ‘EM”
1970s 1880s A man by the name of E.L. Griffeth purchases pickles from C.F. Claussen and Sons to sell door to door to Chicago housewives. The pickle peddler’s business came crashing down the day before Thanksgiving in 1895 when he awoke to find that he had fallen asleep at the “horse.” With his arm and leg broken, carriage shattered and horse dead, the first ever Claussen brand representative says goodbye. www.griffithlaboratories.com
Oscar-Mayer expands into the pickle industry in 1970 and acquires C.F. Claussen and Sons as a subsidiary brand. www.novelguide.com
ALLITERATION OF THE ‘C’ SOUND IS USED TO REMIND CONSUMERS THAT THE ‘CLAUSSEN’ NAME GOES WITH ‘COLD’
In 1978 Dr. Q Cumbus Claussen is introduced in television and print with his crunch measurement machine reminding that the crunchiest pickles are found in the refrigerated section.
ISTORY MYSTERY 1980s
OLD SCHOOL AWARD WINNER
1981: Oscar Mayer is acquired by General Foods 1985: General Foods is acquired by Philip Morris Companies 1988: Philip Morris acquires Kraft USA 1989: Morris merges two divisions to form Kraft General Foods www.novelguide.com
CRUNCHIER, SNAPPIER PICKLES ARE KEPT FRESH AND COLD
1985 Print ad suggests that pickle quality varies and must be testdriven the same way you would with an automobile. Not all pickles are the same.
1990s CLAUSSEN UNLEASHES VICIOUS ATTACK ADS TOWARDS COMPETITOR VLASIC
“A commercial for Claussen Pickles fabricates a hoity-toity image for its closest competitor by representing it as a frog. Not a talking Budweiser frog, mind you, but a prototypical greasy Frenchman, complete with a beret, a skinny black mustache, puckered lips--and a very limp pickle. Assuming that a pickle is a pickle is a pickle in most consumers' minds, Claussen resorts to attacking its competition for having a foreign-sounding name like Vlasic.”
CLAUSSEN GETS SEXUAL
-Paul Bacon, former employee of J. Walter Thompson Advertising, and Hill and Knowlton Public Relations
“WE’RE MORE OF AN ADULT-DRIVEN PICKLE AND ARE NOT INTO BABYISH HUMOR.” -TIM COFER CLAUSSEN BRAND MANAGER
Claussen bends pickles on television spots, taking market share from Vlasic. Vlasic complains to NAD and Claussen is pressed to remove “limp” from ad.
1992
Vlasic launches “The Perfect Pickle,” reintroducing the Vlasic Stork to appeal to youngsters and nostalgic baby boomer generation.
Vlasic complains to NAD again about Claussen’s claim to being crunchier, NAD sides with Claussen.
1995
1994
1993
Kraft General Foods Kraft Foods David’s Pickle Page!! The Unofficial Claussen Website: first attempt at a blog? Maybe. Maybe not.
1990
2000 Print ad commands “Snap my spear” and questions “Can a pickle be too bold?”
2009 Kraft brand website for Claussen Pickles features: 2008 Print ad. “If you prefer things stiffly erect and throbbing with fullness rather than things that are flaccidly limp and not up for anything fun then, according to this ad, Claussen is your brand of pickle. Why mess with a tired, spent pickle when you can have one that’s ready to forcefully explode in your mouth with an orgasm of juicy flavor quenching your desire for spunky girth?” -Ad Rants
VINE TO JAR IN 8 DAYS THE WORLD’S MOST EXCELLENT PICKLE IT’S PICKLE TIME SEE THE DIFFERENCE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN TASTE http://brands.kraftfoods.com/claussen
2009 Viral YouTube video Time: 2:30 Views: 8,897 Comments: 15 Scientifically measures the Claussen crunch with humorous narration.
2009
VLASIC: NATIONAL LEADING COMPETITOR
CHEAPER BRAND NAME PRICE POINT ($ .10 OZ) COMPETITIVE SANDWICH PRODUCTS “LOWER-END” BRAND NAME FEEL ELITIST REPUTATION STRONG BRAND NAME, WELL KNOWN
THE STORK IS ANNOYING BUT, PEOPLE RECOGNIZE IT
VLASIC UNDERSTANDS SANDWICHES
NASCAR IS TACKY AND VERY AMERICAN “BABYISH” UNDERSTANDS KID CULTURE
THIS IS A LIE BAD BRAND POSITIONING AND DOESN’T COMPETE
GEDNEY: REGIONAL LEADING COMPETITOR
COMPETITIVE PRICE POINT ($ .19 OZ) COMPETITIVE REFRIGERATOR BRAND SECOND RESULT IN GOOGLE SEARCH: CLAUSSEN PICKLES OFFERS ORGANIC
SAME RED AND GREEN BUT USED POORLY
PICKLE HAT SMALL TOWN AMERICA
REGIONAL? ORDER ONLINE WEIRD KID CULTURE RELATES FUN
USER GENERATED CONTENT
BLUE RIBBON MIDDLE AMERICA APPEAL
CLAUSSEN:
compete with class Claussen is a far superior pickle to its competitors, but not a top seller. It’s different because it’s refrigerated and fresh; however, because it is refrigerated, it is often forgotten. Claussen’s advertising has always strived to remind consumers that the “crunchier,” “colder” pickles are refrigerated.
Claussen is at a much higher price point than its competitors ($ .15.19 oz). The pickles are fresher because they are refrigerated, but parish quickly. Claussen is left out of its competitors’ section in the grocery store, leading consumers to associate “the refrigerated” pickles as the “more expensive” pickles.
Advertising and marketing are essential to pickle brands because pickles are considered an impulse item. Sales tend to fluctuate during the winter and summer holidays proving that pickles aren’t part of the core diet. Typically, pickles are served as a lunch item with or on a sandwich or burger. Pickle Packers International (PPI) reports that 48 billion sandwiches are eaten by Americans every year, but only 3 out of every 100 sandwiches has a pickle on the inside, because they are typically served on the side.
How Claussen advertises its brand is extremely important. In more recent years, Claussen has advertised with the use of sexual innuendos and adult humor. These ads are highly criticized and miss the mark entirely. Pickles are food for the family and need to be treated with child gloves. Claussen can still be the adult pickle, but they can do it with class.
Claussen seems to be the forgotten Kraft brand. In 1970 C.F. Claussen and Sons were acquired by Oscar Mayer who was later acquired by Philip Morris, later becoming Kraft Foods. The Claussen story prior to 1970 has been nearly lost and its history is left out of the Kraft brand time line. Is this a good thing or bad thing? Perhaps it’s an opportunity to tell the story that Claussen has forgotten for so long. Recently, Claussen attempted to launch a video on YouTube with hopes of viral success. This kind of thinking is on the right track in the sense that they have stepped back from traditional media. They also do a good job of keeping their website basic and clean. How detailed does a pickle website need to be? Pickles are about eating and eating should be an experience. Claussen must find a way to connect to consumers in the moment- at the grocery store, where they are most forgotten. Claussen must make a name for itself as the classy pickle of choice.
TREND OPPORTUNITIES: TECHNOLOGY Kraft recently launched the iFood app for the iPhone which allows users to search recipes and manage grocery lists.
PHILANTHROPY Each year Kraft donates over $100 million dollars in food, cash donations and volunteer support to hundreds of non-profit organizations.
NUTRITION Health and nutrition are a growing concern for Americans, especially American children. In the United States 1 in 3 children are considered overweight. School lunch programs lack healthy options and parents are getting more and more involved in packing homemade lunches.
LOCAL/ORGANIC Local and organic movements are becoming increasingly popular. Regional and local brands are becoming the preferred choice to national brand leaders. Growing national brands are increasing their social responsibility and food quality for consumers.
TARGET CONSUMER
Over the years, Claussen has positioned itself as the “grown up” brand of pickles, but have alienated a very important demographic: children. Claussen must find a way to relate with children while avoiding cheesy or babyish humor. Kids are the best kind of consumer because they are picky. They know what they like and don’t like and can encourage a loyal brand relationship to their parents. Once kids find something they like, they ask for it often and on a regular basis. Claussen should appeal to children, but should categorize them as a secondary target. Claussen is a quality, family food and their primary appeal needs to be sophisticated and remain attractive to adults and parents. Claussen’s ideal consumer is willing to pay a little more for quality food items. They shop at higher end grocery stores such as Whole Foods as well as regional and local high-end grocers. They are the kind of shoppers who make frequent visits to the store and often leave the list at home. They shop for the moment. Pickles aren’t a typical list item anyway and so Claussen needs to make an impression at the point of purchase. This is a demographic who cares about corporate and social responsibility. They don’t eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, they eat Annie’s. They don’t mind paying extra for organic produce and dairy. They are comfortable in life, regardless of their age.
PARENTS + CHILDREN SACK LUNCHES + SANDWICHES ASPIRING FOODIES + WHOLE FOODS
ABSENT FROM THE PICKLE AISLE A QUALITY PREFERENCE RESTAURANT STYLE SANDWICH DILL
CLAUSSEN BRAND TRUTHS
NOT PROCESSED: VINE TO JAR IN 8 DAYS NEGATIVE ADVERTISING PAST SCIENTIFICALLY LOUDER CRUNCH THAN COMPETITORS PEOPLE NEED TO BE REMINDED TO BUY THEM SNACK ALTERNATIVE, LOW CALORIE, CRAVING CURE NOT ORGANIC, HIGH SODIUM BRIGHTER, GREENER, FRESHER PICKLE SOLD NATIONALLY + DISTRIBUTED BY KRAFT FOODS
CLAUSSEN SHOU GROCERY
DOMINATE SHOPPING CART ADS
advertise where it’s natu BRAND HOMEMADE LUNCH
stay classy claussen pickles are food for the family
ULD STAY IN THE Y STORE
ural
BRAND PAPER GROCERY BAGS
CREATE BRANDED EMPTY SHELF IN PICKLE AISLE