Merkley + Partners launched a new campaign for detergent brand all, featuring Peanuts characters portrayed in a commercial by real kids for the first time ever.
The Peanuts-themed campaign, which promises to be an integrated, multi-year effort, kicks off this week with a national broadcast spot and “user generated content-focused social campaign with an interactive Buzzfeed program.” It will also be supported by print, digital, retail, consumer promotions and PR initiatives.
all decided to leverage the familiar Peanuts characters because of the brand’s close assocation with families. “all skews more towards households with kids than any other laundry brand, so our connection with Peanuts is a natural fit,” explained Lora Van Velsor, vice president of marketing for all, in a statement.
Of course, the character Pig Pen makes that connection even more obvious, and he is indeed the focus of the first broadcast spot. Running in both 15 and 30-second versions, the spot depicts the character (complete with ever-present cloud of dirt) meeting up with Charlie Brown. The pair then run into Linus and Lucy, with the latter pulling a familiar prank on Charlie Brown. Pig Pen then returns home while his mother (who talks in incomprehensible adult Peanuts character fashion) uses all to remove grass stains from his shirt. While seeing Peanuts characters depicted in live action may initially come as a bit of a shock, the pairing certainly fits the brand and its target demographic.
The campaign will ramp up in September, timed to coincide with the lead-up to the release of Fox/Blue Sky Studios release The Peanuts Movie in November. At this point, broadcast spots will switch from depicting the characters in live action to CGI, to better coincide with the film launch. all is also using the campaign and Peanuts partnership to launch new products, including all Radiant, all free clear OXI and all OXI laundry booster.
Credits:
Agency: Merkley + Partners
Client: all® Laundry
ECD: Andy Hirsch
CD: Abi Aron and Aaron Eiseman
Production Company: Durable Goods
Director: Rene Villar-Rios
Producer: Donovan Green