POM Wonderful is loving life with impaled dolphin

Thank you Wonderful Agency. I needed an absurd moment (other than Roseanne Barr’s tweets) and you gave it to me. POM Wonderful, the largest grower and producer of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the U.S., has launched a hilarious multifaceted ad campaign, including its most robust digital effort in brand history, titled “Dolphin.”

Directed by Michael Illick of Arts & Sciences/Suneeva, Theses LOL ads tell the story of Jeff Kowalczyk, a man living with a live dolphin impaled through his chest, who doesn’t let his “health scare” slow him down. In fact, Jeff and his wife soon realize that his life-changing experience was just the wake-up call they needed to take their health more seriously, including incorporating POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice into their diet for antioxidants and a good source of potassium. TAke a look at the 1:30 short film below and laugh your a** off!

Funny right?

This campaign marks POM Wonderful’s largest digital spend to date, with a multimillion-dollar media plan that’s hyper-targeted to reach a health-conscious audience. The creative executions will be shown in contextually relevant TV shows (The Doctors and Dr. Oz), online (WebMD, CNN Health, and FoxNews Health), and on screens in doctors’ offices across the country. These spots poke fun at mundane pharmaceutical industry advertisements and use humor to talk about what people typically want to avoid: what they should do after a health scare.

“As you start to get a little older, thinking about your health is never fun, yet nothing could be more important,” said Darren Moran, Chief Creative Officer of Wonderful Agency, the in-house agency that created the campaign. “We came up with the metaphor of dolphin impalement to make the subject of health scares a little less, well… scary, and to deliver the POM message in a way that’s impossible to ignore. We think Jeff’s story will inspire a lot of folks to get a little healthier with POM, or to at least steer clear of the beach.”

The “Dolphin“ campaign is inspired by POM Wonderful’s research, which reveals that consumers of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice often turn to the beverage after experiencing a health awakening—a moment in time that makes them reassess their health choices. Once learning about the benefits of drinking POM Wonderful, consumers incorporate the beverage into their lifestyle, just like Jeff did after his own dolphin-imposed health awakening.

“Whether through a health scare of their own or simply feeling winded after playing with their kids, consumers often experience a realization that causes them to make better choices around their diet and health,” said Adam Cooper, vice president of marketing, The Wonderful Company. “POM Wonderful has seen a strong growth trajectory in the past year, reaching best-ever months of sales for the past 12 months. In fact, our 48 oz. 100% Pomegranate Juice has been the highest selling item in the category in the grocery store channel for two years now, which demonstrates that consumers are figuring out how to incorporate our healthy beverage into their everyday lives.”

Yeah, all of that research is fine. But the hilariousness and absurdity of the spot while making a point is one of the reasons I got into advertising. Love it and it is REEL AD OF THE WEEK!

The campaign will also be supported by public relations and social media.

CREDITS:

Music and Sound: Beacon Street Studios
   Executive Producer: Adrea Lavezzoli
   Sound Designer/Mixer: Rommel Molina
   Senior Mix Producer: Kate Vadnais

 
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.