Jif Peanut Butter Hijacks the Super Bowl to Save Neglected Celery Sticks

Beginning today, Jif is looking to disrupt this year’s 'ad bowl' with yet another campaign that’s 'That Jif’ing Good.' The new campaign was created in partnership with PSOne, the Power of One solution for J.M. Smucker Co., led by creative agency BBH USA.

The new campaign surrounds the Big Game by tapping into the culture and lore of the ultimate football snack - chicken wings - and their often discarded sidekick - the unsung celery stick. The fact is that during the game each year, Americans devour a billion wings, but only 14% of people prefer the accompanying celery. The new Jif campaign, #SaveTheCelery, aims to rescue this often-underappreciated veggie with heartstring-pulling ads and an offer of a free jar of Jif peanut butter to wing enthusiasts as a plea to save the side celery from being discarded.

In addition to TV, video, influencer partnerships with Jesse James Decker, and social running nationally, the brand will roll out a full 360-degree campaign, including;

Pre-Game Day:

Barstool’s Pardon My Take, a popular sports podcast, will highlight #SaveTheCelery during three live reads on pre-game episodes. They will also post on social including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples. He will highlight #SaveTheCelery with unscripted host reads during upcoming episodes.

Jif will also, sponsor the Truth or Dab segment on viral wings show Hot Ones, in the week leading up to the Big Game. The segment will feature former NFL player and social media personality Spice Adams answering challenging personal questions…or he can choose to hold onto his secrets, plead the “Jif,” save the celery, and endure eating a mega-hot wing.

On Game Day:  

Fans can save the celery via the delivery app Gopuff, which will deliver Jif to wing eaters across the nation in 60 minutes or less with a click of a button. To celebrate the partnership, Jif and Gopuff will be giving away a select number of free jars of Jif peanut butter. Available wherever GoPuff delivers, while supplies last. Subject to availability. Fees may apply. Offer valid on 2/11/24 at 4:30 PM ET.

Several NYC sports bars will receive branded 'Save the Celery' coasters, stickers, and wing liners with a QR code that drives to the campaign's microsite. As well as free Jif To Go samples, to help enjoy the celery that comes with the wings during the Big Game.

“There’s always been debate about whether or not purpose-driven work belongs in and around the Big Game,” said Erica Roberts, chief creative officer at BBH USA. “Is it really the right stage for weighty messages? Well, if those messages are about saving fibrous stalks of celery, we say, ‘hell yeah.’”

"Every host of a Big Game party knows the sad fate that awaits their celery," said Christine Hoffman, senior director of integrated consumer experience at The J.M. Smucker Co. "But the simple addition of Jif Peanut Butter transforms celery from castaway to an irresistibly crunchy snack." 

“Jif wanted to hack the biggest dip day of the year with a dip you never see at the party – peanut butter. And once we realised we had the perfect way in with discarded celery, it was a no brainer,” said Peter Defries, group creative director BBH USA. “I never thought I’d get so passionate about a tasteless vegetable. But once we started working on this important PSA, I went from a celery neglector to a celery cruncher myself (with some help from Jif of course).”