In this Sophie’s Choice situation, the hits just keep coming for a kid named Darren. First he learns that his sister, Sarah, is the apple of his mother’s eye, and then his entire world flips upside down with the revelation that Dad isn’t really Dad.
And all because of Rebel Creamery, whose better-for-you product serves as a frosty truth serum for the snacking matriarch in a campaign aptly tagged, “Don’t Sugarcoat It, Favorite Child.”
The harshly hilarious hero video, from agency of record TDA Boulder, uses the brand’s low-sugar content as inspiration for pull-no-punches marketing.
Digital and social spots continue the frankness, saying that “not every baby can be the cutest baby,” “wearing glasses is not the same as being smart” and “pickleball isn’t a sport.”
The campaign leans into the key product attribute “in a unique way with a rebellious, slightly defiant tone, being willing to say the truths we’re all thinking but don’t often voice,” according to Ashley Bair-Caruso, digital marketing manager for Rebel.
Marketing in the past has focused on “rebelling against sugar,” but the brand was ready to push boundaries for the new work, per creatives.
“Radical candor really impacted our thinking,” Jonathan Schoenberg, executive creative director at TDA Boulder, told ADWEEK. “And I’m an advocate for telling the truth,” even though traditionally, “there’s a lack of directness in advertising.”
The seeds of the idea were sown in the brief and pushed forward in the brainstorming process, according to Jeremy Seibold, the agency’s creative director and partner, who noted the straight line between the keto-friendly ice cream and a no-BS storytelling aesthetic.
“We often knock ‘first thoughts’ as being too obvious, but our job isn’t to prove how clever we are, it is to help drive sales,” Seibold said. “Our audience is aware of how overly sensitive our world is nowadays, so this provided a perfect opportunity for a brave brand with a sense of humor to have some fun.”
The move comes as the ice cream category is full to overflowing with large, legacy players, smaller regional startups and everything in between, making it tough to stand out with consumers who are looking for indulgence, according to Bair-Caruso.
The better-for-you segment is also booming, she said, but some products have disappointed consumers on taste and texture, “leading to a lot of skepticism.”
Rebel, which is low-carb and full fat, uses erythritol, monk fruit and chicory root as sweeteners. The flavors have three grams of sugar per pint, with most having one gram, according to Bair-Caruso.
“Don’t Sugarcoat It,” dropping ahead of National Ice Cream Day July 21, may serve as an evergreen concept, running through the summer and beyond with various executions. The campaign launches on connected TV platforms such as Hulu and YouTube; retail media networks via Kroger and Walmart; along with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Spotify.
