THE ART OF THE BRAND REINTRODUCTION: Folgers

An old playbook feels fresh-brewed

By Brian Dolan February 6, 2022

The worst part of waking up for a Brand Manager leading a ‘legacy brand’ is replaying negative consumer feedback through your mind. “It’s outdated”, “it lost its way”. Those cutting critiques can make a year’s worth of work feel meaningless.

Enter Folgers. The brand has been a staple in US households for over 170 years with an iconic jingle and a history of innovation. But with the rise of Starbucks/Nespresso and the demonization of instant coffee, the glory days are long gone. One review noted the instant coffee’s “unpleasant wooden flavor with traces of bitter burnt butterscotch and molasses.”. That said, Folgers has a wide range of products at affordable prices and often fares better than you might expect in taste tests. While the Starbucks brand name reigns supreme, more people are drinking at home in the Covid age and 40% of coffee-drinkers are using single-serve brewing systems. So maybe pre-ground coffee is having its moment and Folgers is due for a resurgence. After paying nearly $3B to acquire the brand in 2008, that’s certain how J.R. Smucker hopes things play out.

OK, let’s cut to the chase. Folgers dropped a new Anthem ad that people are talking about. Why don’t you watch it - and then we’ll talk.

Now right off the bat, 3 thoughts enter my mind:

This is great!
They’re pulling a Popeyes & Miracle Whip - at the same time!
Now what?

Let me explain. . .

First, this is a great ad, no question. They reframe the critics as haters and celebrate the people who embrace Folgers. It makes you want to side with the good guys and be a part of this bad-ass club. By using the Joan Jett classic, their agency (PSOne) brought a ton of energy and modernity to a stale cup of coffee…even if the song is 40 years old. Suddenly , drinking a cup of Folgers is making a statement. And there is something more inherently persuasive here than their “top 15 ad jingle of all time” could deliver - or even the hilarious, viral riffs off the jingle (Harmonizers & Pants). One of the most successful ways to reposition a brand is to reframe the competition. And inferring that people who buy expensive brands are stuck-up is a form of tribalism that works perfectly.

Second, there is something familiar here. You might recall the spinach-eating Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken brand decided to rename the brand, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, in 2017 to honor its Cajun roots. It worked - and it works here too. Using New Orleans as a cultural anchor for the brand jettisons the perceptions of bright grocery store shelves and instant coffee at the car wash. While Louisiana isn’t known for coffee, this new identity has legs to bring further growth to the brand, if only by highlighting the interesting, down-to-earth people who work to deliver your cup each morning from the bastion of culture.

But it’s not just the Popeyes playbook that feels familiar. It’s the love-it-or-hate-it angle that we’ve seen over the years from Miracle Whip in the US to Marmite in the UK. There’s something fierce about a brand that recognizes its critics and doesn’t care. The exact opposite of the Dominos approach of admitting ‘we sucked, but we changed’, which might necessitate new products, packaging or pricing strategy. Now while Miracle Whip and Marmite are unique because of distinct and polarizing tastes, Folgers is simply perceived as bad coffee. But because taste is subjective and Folgers focuses on emotional benefits, there’s enough runway to provoke an ‘us vs. them’ conversation. It is similar to the criticism Corona faces from ‘serious beer drinkers’, which the brand ignores by focusing on a rich, emotional message (‘Find Your Beach’).

Finally, the cynic in me has to ask: Does this 60-Second Anthem come with refills? Can’t…stop…with…the…puns. The point is, long-form, anthem videos have their place within the advertising community and at award ceremonies. But moving consumer behavior often takes much more - and it’s exhausting to sit through creative presentations of these anthems and wait until the high-fives die down to see if there is anything meaningful to follow. Here, there might be. The #damnrightitsfolgers hashtag has big potential to break into the cultural zeitgeist - and the ‘No One-Hit Wonder’ shorts served on YouTube & Instagram nicely focus on the wide range of Folgers products that people may not know about. Is that enough to overcome decades of resistance to the brand? No, but it’s a start. The brand’s (somewhat painful to read) press release talks about other digital and audio creative in the mix. And somewhere, a copywriter is smirking at the subtle references to Don Draper’s “its toasted” from Mad Men S1E1 and Agent Cooper’s “damn good cup of coffee’, which shows promise for depth of thought.

I’m reminded of the Corn Flakes campaign, ‘Taste Them Again for the First Time’, where Kellogg’s sought to remind long-lapsed users that they used to enjoy the taste before flashy, sugar-filled alternatives stole the limelight. In Folgers’ case, it may not be so easy. While brand awareness is likely high, there may not be that fondness to fall back on among many Gen Z, Millennial or even Gen X consumers. Changing negative taste perceptions takes time and consistent, persuasive messaging. Showing that the brand stands for more than just Folgers Crystals and storytelling about the toasting and roasting down in New Orleans adds intrigue to a 170-year old legend. Wrapping it all in the same unapologetic tone of this reintroduction film will ensure breakthrough along the way. Let’s check back in a year to see if J.R. Smucker sticks with the campaign long enough to let it percolate.

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