Last January, B&G Foods, which purchased the Green Giant frozen vegetable brand from General Mills for $765 million in late 2015, selected Deutsch as the brand’s agency of record.
“At B&G Foods we have a passion and track record of successfully reinvigorating nostalgic and iconic brands like Green Giant, and repositioning them to make them relevant again for consumers. Deutsch has demonstrated a similar passion, and we look forward to executing on their smart and aggressive marketing ideas to encourage consumers to reconnect with Green Giant,” Green Giant vice president and general manager Jordan Greenberg said in a statement at the time.
Back in September, Deutsch teased its reinvented Green Giant in theaters, saving the reveal for a recent pair of 30-second spots. The obvious question, with the characters’ absence from the brands advertising in recent years, is where has he been all this time?
The creatives at Deutsch found an answer to that inevitable consumer question: the Green Giant has been roaming across the country on an extensive road trip, learning about himself and the world around him without any sort of time constraints, like a privileged Sarah Lawrence graduate.
In “Snow Angel” he learns that he makes a mean giant snow angel and also how to make riced veggies. “What Did He Learn” also reintroduces the character via a new product line, in this case cauliflower and broccoli-filled veggie tots.
Strategically the approach makes sense, presenting the brand as reinvented for more modern families, complete with new additions reflective of recent food trends. Unfortunately, the new version of the Green Giant resides somewhere in the deeper recesses of the uncanny valley, which becomes especially creepy with the leering woman checking out his jump squat-honed legs from the comfort of her convertible.
The broadcast effort launched earlier this week and will run on channels including Bravo, Cooking Channel, E!, Lifetime, HGTV, VH1, Nick at Nite, and the Food Network.
“I grew up with the Jolly Green Giant and having the opportunity to reintroduce such an iconic advertising figure has been a thrill,” Deutsch New York CCO Dan Kelleher said in a statement. “It’s the Giant we all know and love, but now in more modern, fun scenarios.”
On that note, check out this illustrated history of the character via the Walker Art Center. Can you tell he came around right at the start of the Great Depression?
Credits:
Deutsch Office: New York
CCO – Dan Kelleher
ECD – Menno Kluin
CD – James Cowie
CD – Rich Kolopeaua
EVP, Director of Integrated Production – Joe Calabrese
VP, Executive Producer – Andrea Curtin
Senior Project Manager – Michelle Ziff
EVP, Group Account Director – Jayme Maultasch
VP, Account Director – Erin Metcalf
Account Executive – Ramona Luo
Client, Client Contact: B&G Foods / Green Giant
VP, General Manager – Jordan Greenberg
Marketing Director – Steve Finnie
Associate Brand Manager – Diana Ark
Production Company:
Smith & Jones Films
Director: Ulf Johansson
Producer: Philippa Smith
Editorial:
Cosmo Street
Editor: Tom Scherma
Producer: Anne Lai
Telecine:
Company3 NY
Colorist: Tim Masick
Producer: Rochelle Brown
Visual Effects Company:
MPC
Lead artist: Rob Walker
Producer: Dorian Douglass
Music/Licensed Music Tracks:
JSM – music track
Head Engineer: Norm Felker
Duotone – jingle composition
Audio Post Company:
Sonic Union
Sound mixer: Steve Rosen