CREATIVE IDEA
To give Super Fans a way to interact with HVR around a holiday filled with tradition, we created 1,000 limited-edition Ranch on a Branch collectible boxed sets, featuring a plushie Hidden Valley Ranch (aka “Ranchie”) and a storybook detailing their dream: to become a REAL bottle of HVR so they can continue to spread joy through the real flavor only HVR can bring. Owners were encouraged to place Ranchie in a new spot each day throughout the holidays as a reminder to spread joy. We sold the collectible on the HVR website in exchange for a donation to Feeding America.
RESULTS
Press validated our new tradition with rave reviews and Ranch on a Branch sold out just 10 hours after going live. Our strategic outreach efforts resulted in syndication of our digital placements and local DMA broadcast segments, fueling virality and keeping the story of Ranch on a Branch alive post launch and post sell out - leading to a surge in media placements:
Ranch on a Branch generated a total of 750 media placements, 470 of which were regional and national broadcast placements, including a segment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The hundreds of placements secured led to 2.65+ billion impressions with 100% positive/neutral sentiment. 80% of online placements were features, 89% of coverage included headline mentions.
- “Elf on the Shelf” is a holiday tradition originally from the United States, where in the weeks leading up to Christmas, a friendly elf visits a child’s house to watch their behavior and report back to Santa each night whether they’ve been good or bad. Each morning, because of the elf’s travels, he or she is located in a new place for the child(ren) to find. Once Christmas arrives, the elf has done its job and returns to the North Pole.
- This tradition gained mainstream popularity around 2012, and has been a hot-button cultural topic ever since. In short: parents love to hate, and hate to love the elf. They don’t want their children to miss out on such a popular toy, but the time it takes and the stress it creates each day takes its toll each holiday season.
