This “Earworm for the Ages” for French Fries Will Be Stuck in Your Head for Days

In the United States, Ore-Ida is one of the most well known brands in the Kraft Heinz Portfolio. Known for providing households with deliciously golden and crispy potatoes, Ore-Ida is the number one branded leader in a $3 billion category, with over 96% awareness and 98% considering, and over $1 billion in retail sales. 

But after five years of putting out no new creative work, it was time for a freshen-up. Enter: ‘Deliciously Predictable’, a full-scale modernisation with refreshed packaging and a new brand creative platform that leans into the predictability of Ore-Ida’s crispy deliciousness in an evermore unpredictable world. 

The campaign was created by Johannes Leonardo, who set out on a journey to “modernise and re-introduce an icon”, according to co-founder and creative chairman Jan Jacobs. “In the process, we unlocked a core truth about the brand that's more relevant today than ever before,” he says. “Few things in life are certain.”

So, Jan and the team at Johannes Leonardo ran at the chance to celebrate Ore-Ida’s reliable outcome - crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside - in a wonderfully odd and undoubtedly charming musical ode to predictability. “Much like the work we do across the Kraft Heinz portfolio, it’s about finding the untapped ethos embedded in a brand - one it can share with today's audiences - in order to reposition it for the future,” adds Jan. 

The film was brought to life by Blinkink director Will Wightman, who Jan calls an “industry rising star” and “expert in the musical space”. Jan adds, “As you see, at the centre of the campaign is a big, music anthem spot featuring a colourful cast of characters who sing the praises of certainty in every way it shows up in our lives… We were confident he [Will Wightman] would be able to successfully bring this irreverently charming and unique work to life. Each vignette introduces a beautiful moment of certainty and a character within it singing its praises. Partway through the song, there is a detour into uncertainty. But the tension is quickly resolved, closing with a big finale with all characters on stage at once, delivering a majestic opus to Ore-Ida potatoes.”

When it came to the writing of what is an irrefutable earworm, Jan tells us that the creative team paid homage to Ore-Ida’s campaigns from decades past, by leaning into their playful and musical tone and giving it a modern touch. “They leaned into the language construct and past slogan of ‘When it says Ore-Ida, it’s all righta.’ to identify the lyrical earworm ‘Withoutta Doubtta’ that signifies the predictability of the potatoes while also sticking in consumers’ minds. The language constructed across all other elements of the campaign also has a playful tone, utilising the ‘-a’ at the end of words to help build a stronger campaign ecosystem. The team set out to make work that bottles the joy found in a piping hot bowl of Ore-Ida potatoes and created an earworm for the ages.”

In addition to the campaign, a key part of this revitalisation of Ore-Ida is the modernisation of its iconic red bag, logo, and colours across all packaging and products. Several products have also undergone name updates, which will begin rolling out on US shelves in April 2024. Jackie Britva, senior brand manager for Ore-Ida, says that throughout the packaging refresh process, the main goal was to make strategic and meaningful updates to improve the shopping experience for consumers and ensure Ore-Ida stood out on a busy shelf. “We simplified the logo and improved portfolio navigation, focusing on what shoppers really care about – the different sizes, formats and flavours of all the delicious varieties of Ore-Ida,” says Jackie.

Jackie adds that when she and her team began the process of reinvigorating the Ore-Ida brand after a five-year hiatus from any creative work, they really wanted to develop something that would “emotionally elevate and proudly define” the existing Ore-Ida brand ethos, but also grow alongside the brand over the next 10 years. 

“As we developed the new creative work,” adds Jackie, “our research and conversations with fans reinforced that our strength lies in the consistently crispy quality and the perfect details that our fries and tots bring to their kitchens – textures, saltiness, shapes, flavours, etc. This strength evokes powerful emotion in our fans: reassurance and certainty.”