As far as consolation prizes go, free Jell-O pudding events for the San Francisco 49ers and their fans might not be able to take the sting away from a three-point Super Bowl defeat. But, beggars (and losers) can’t be choosers, so CP+B solicited the help of 49er Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott to spread the word about the Jell-O Pudding Drops taking place throughout San Francisco on February 5th.
It looks as if helicopters will fly over the city and drop snackpacks at the five designated drop zones Vietnam-style, which if true, makes this campaign 47 times better. Will San Franciscans walk underneath the onslaught of pudding screaming, “I love the smell of chocolate in the morning?” But, if napalm smells like victory to Robert Duvall, then chocolate pudding must smell like defeat to the Bay Area. Is it wise to associate your brand with losing?
There are other ways for 49er fans to move past the loss: users can also find Jell-O coupons on the campaign’s site and/or download a Baltimore Blocker that replaces any reference to the Ravens victory with pictures of puppies and cats (seriously). More therapeutic coping mechanisms exist, like sending angry letters to the NFL about their defensive holding penalty rules, but puppies are puppies.
And since most of us watched the Puppy Bowl anyway, Jell-O and CP+B may be subliminal marketing geniuses. Or just prepared enough to create two ad campaigns catered to the 49ers regardless of the outcome. Who knows what would’ve happened had the Niners actually won? Still, I love the smell of Jell-O in the morning.