A complete 180 from this infamous Apple ad, wouldn’t you say, flesh-and-blood readers?

The work, running during the upcoming Paris Olympics, is part of a bigger brand message, one that puts creativity first by highlighting people and the businesses developing unique, small-batch items found on Etsy. Social media clips, coupled with jumbo billboards in NYC and London, feature the faces behind Etsy shops and tell their stories.

“In an increasingly automated world, Etsy stands for something different,” says David Kolbusz, CCO of Orchard, which created the spot. “Their sellers aren’t just filling orders, they’re conjuring magic from their fingertips and channeling their talents into the creation of objects you can touch and keep.”

“Our film isn’t anti-tech, it’s pro-human. It’s a reminder that the things that arrive on your doorstep can come from someplace more meaningful than a fulfillment center.”

Once again, Ocean Spray does absurdity right—not too tart or sweet. As for introducing “Johnny the Farmer,” he’s … Creepy? Crusty? Hawt? He just seems to fit in this damp crimson universe.

“We are looking to gain traction with new, younger audiences—continuing to appeal to Gen X and millennials and looking ahead toward Gen Z,” Monisha Dabek, SVP and chief commercial officer, tells Muse. “In our new campaign, we take this effort a step further as we ‘Just Add Cran’ to everyday moments—bringing our farmer and bog into relatable scenarios that resonate with that younger audience.”

“In doing so, we’re tapping into more of a higher emotional connection with this audience and showcasing cranberry’s transformational power—all while striking the balance of relatability, culture and our bog-driven equity,” she says.

AI and CGI weren’t used. Instead, Anonymous Content director Max Sherman brought large “bog tanks” onto studio sets. (Even the diner, which looks quite authentic, was built on a soundstage.)

And yes, most of the cast performed while submerged in the sloshy stuff.

“We wanted to ensure that the water and the floating cranberries reacted realistically to any movement from our new cranberry farmer) and the other actors,” recalls Orchard creative director Conor Dooley. “We then partnered with the fine folks at Ntropic to extend the edges of our bog tanks to create that full-bog effect in a seamless and realistic way, even down to the wicking of water going up peoples’ clothes.”

The team would empty, move and refill the tanks for each new set-up, “which was a slow and arduous process,” Dooley says. “But we all agreed that the striking visual of a cranberry bog magically flooding a game show set, or a diner, was worth getting exactly right—and that the more realistic it appeared, the more impactful it would be for viewers.”

“I don’t envy the poor actors sitting there in wet jeans for take after take. But at least the water was warm—that was the only unrealistic aspect of our bog. And thankfully everyone seemed to have a great time on set, submerged or not.”

The work runs for the next few months across streaming TV, online video, banners, social, in-store displays and more.

“For the launch of Etsy’s new Gift Mode tech, we wanted to create something special for the big game,” says David Kolbusz, CCO of Orchard, the agency behind the spot. “We wrote a lot of showy scripts—some stunty, others littered with celebrities—but in the end, classic storytelling and a good joke won the day.”

The brand recently tapped Drew Barrymore as the company’s first chief gifting officer. (Also, Patrick Stewart warns her to “pipe down” in Paramount+’s Big Game ad. She wasn’t talking about Etsy, though.)

Watch a :45 version of the Super Bowl ad below:

Click here to watch all of this year’s Super Bowl commercials as they’re released. 

Next, when a dad tells his daughter he doesn’t want more “stuff,” she finds a log carrier on Etsy that serves an important purpose. Mission accomplished:

Below, a young woman gifts her extra-tall, foodie boyfriend with a very special apron:

Finally, how does an uncle related to his 6-year-old niece? Learn the answer and hum along:

“Our ECD Jimm Lasser was talking to his wife Hannah about our campaign and she mentioned in passing that every time she goes on Etsy it’s like a little mission,” says David Kolbusz, CCO of Orchard. “This was a succinct way of trying to articulate the feeling of gift shopping.”

The ads are running on broadcast and digital in the U.S. and U.K. The songs were all scripted, with wiggle room for revisions.

“Pretty much everything we did for weeks after the shoot, through the whole edit process, was soundtracked to the Mission: Impossible theme,” Kolbusz tells Muse. “Once you get into the habit it’s a tough one to break.”

CREDITS

Agency: Orchard Creative
Chief Strategy Officer: Laura Janness
Chief Executive Officer: Barney Robinson
Chief Creative Officer: David Kolbusz
Executive Creative Director: Jimm Lasser
Creative Director: Heather Larimer
Creative Director: Devon Hong
Creative Director: Conor Dooley
Senior Art Director: Perry Morton
Copywriter: Grady Linnihan
Head of Strategy: Sarah Garman
Strategy Director: Albert Opraseuth
Head of Production: Jenn Pennington
Account Director: Hayley Howell
Account Supervisor: Becky Tanner

Production
Director: Steve Rogers
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Managing Director US: Shawn Lacy
Managing Director UK: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean
Executive Producer: Holly Vega
Head of Production US: Sean Moody
Head of Production UK: Sara Cummins
Producer: Jay Veal
Director’s Assistant: James Murray
Production Manager: Esther Rich
Director of Photography: Daniel Landin
Production Designer: Daniel Taylor
Editorial/Post production: Cut+Run
Managing Partner: Lauren Hertzberg
Executive Producer: Ellese Shell
Post Producer: Brooke Rhoden
Editor: Jonnie Scarlett
Sr. Cutting Asst.: James Donahue
Junior Asst Editor: Eric Estevez
Editor- Cyber: Jen Dean
Asst. Editor- Cyber: Evan Bahnsen

VFX/ Finishing: Yours truly, KEVIN
Music/Sound Design/mix: Heavy Duty NYC

The most absurd aspect of making an absurd commercial is the dry practicality involved.

You can’t start by thinking about what’s going to be funny. You have to use the logic within the world you’ve created, and then leave room for magic.

For example, last year we took Ocean Spray cranberry jelly, looked at its wonderfully bizarre physics and turned a boring family dinner into a jiggling, wiggling party. We purposely didn’t over-script so we could spend our time watching what our cast could do.

This year, we set out to make a sequel featuring Ocean Spray’s cranberry juice cocktail. There were many things we had to consider. How could we connect these two campaigns, but keep each one distinctive? If cranberry sauce made people jiggle, how would they react to the juice?

We started answering these questions with director Jeff Low, who is unmatched in helping define the rules of an absurd world. We decided:

1. The juice would transform a lifeless gathering. We wanted it to feel bleak, nondescript and impersonal. Like a graduation party hosted by a church. 
2. The vessel had to be a bowl of punch. Cranberry juice cocktail is added to drinks. Cranberry juice cocktail makes drinks taste better. It made sense. 
3. The punch had to take on a supernatural quality. It couldn’t just sit there. It had to swirl and sway. The centrifugal force of the punch would move the bored guests to do the same.

And after that, we got to play and build within this world, seeing what worked and what didn’t.

To create the effect of our cast being swirled around like the punch, our production company created multiple spring-loaded metal rigs. They brought one to our callbacks and it was crucial. It became immediately clear what would work best once we saw how people reacted. 

Our cast included folks who could act like nothing was happening, even when they were being swirled around like rag dolls.

The day before the shoot, we watched the full cast test out the rig in their wardrobe. Everyone was laughing and you could tell that each actor felt comfortable and emboldened.

But one of the real surprises of the shoot was Deb, our punch-spiking grandmother. It wasn’t until we saw her face on camera that we realized this was Deb’s story. Using cranberry juice, she was the sneaky instigator for this wild ride. So we worked with our editor, Jeff Ferruzzo, to add more shots of Deb to our final cut, really building her story.

Creating the building blocks of absurdity not only makes for a stronger tale, but it also can keep the narrative going for years. If we keep traveling down this road, we’re bound to discover what other scenarios the humble (yet mighty!) cranberry can juice in the future.

Got plant-based milk? That’s the sentiment driving Silk’s latest campaign that drops today. 

Silk Nextmilk promises a better beverage made from plants—and delivers a fresh take on iconic milk mustache advertising of yore. You remember those, right? Some used the “Got Milk?” tagline. Now, Silk spins the concept for a new generation.

Non-dairy products have increasingly become consumer staples in recent years, “so it was time for us to be part of that mainstream culture with this campaign,” says Olivia Sanchez, VP, marketing, plant-based beverages for Danone North America, which owns Silk.

Click to enlarge the images below:

Ads feature the offspring of several celebrities that appeared in milk mustache efforts from the 1990s and 2000s. (Those were produced nationally by the Milk Processor Education Program). 

In the Silk version, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham takes the mantle from his father, superstar soccer player David. You can see shades of model/actress Christie Brinkley in her daughter Sailor. All of basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal’s children—Amirah, Me’Arah, Myles, Shareef and Shaqir—get ‘stached together. And Myles also appears in a solo ad, as does Ella Bleu Travolta, who honors her mother, the late actress Kelly Preston Travolta.

Danone developed the initiative with creative agency Orchard. Ads will run for two weeks in the digital out-of-home space in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York. Silk also sees a People.com takeover happening today, as well as customized integrations on TV, including a partnership with Jimmy Kimmel.

TikTok’s also in the mix, and some of the celeb progeny will post recipes that use Nextmilk as an ingredient. Ultimately, the campaign will transition to show everyday folks, too.

“In 2022, 65 percent of Gen Z said they wanted a more plant-forward diet,” Sanchez says, “What we hear from them is their food choices are a part of who they are. And we knew that Nextmilk as a breakthrough innovation from plants was deserving of a campaign that embraces the next generation of milk drinkers in an extremely culturally and intuitive way.”

CREDITS

Client: Danone North America 
Creative Agency: Orchard
Photo Agency: SN37
Production Company: Petty Cash
Motion Editorial: Exile Edit
Stills Post Production: Dcoy Studios
Paid Media Agency: Wavemaker
PR Agency: ICF Next

Danone North America 
Shane Grant, Chief Executive Office, Danone North America
Carlos Veraza, President of Danone US
John Starkey, President and General Manager, Plant-Based
Linda Bethea, Head of Marketing 
Olivia Sanchez, VP of Marketing, Plant-Based Beverages
Eric Flinn, Executive Creative Director
Carolyn Sklar, Senior Director, Communications
Erica Rhodin, Sr. Associate Brand Manager, Silk Almond
Dani Kraycik, Manager, Brand Communications
Gretchen Offenhauser, Integrated Marketing Director    
Jordan Hunt, Senior Manager, Integrated Marketing
Carisa Cook, Marketing Manager, Integrated Marketing
Kelly Duff, Senior Producer 

Orchard 
Laura Janness, Founder, Chief Strategy Officer
Barney Robinson, Founder, Chief Executive Officer
David Kolbusz, Chief Creative Officer 
Jimm Lasser, Executive Creative Director
Conor Dooley, Creative Director
Mars Castro, Designer/Art Director 
Matthew Terrell, Art Director
Michelle Smith, Copywriter
Jenn Pennington, Head of Production
Julie Jean-Baptiste, Senior Producer 
Lucie Kittel, Business Director
Becky Tanner, Account Supervisor
Sarah Garman, Head of Strategy
Albert Opraseuth, Strategy Director

SN37
Micaiah Carter, Photographer
Jesse Kahn, Executive Producer
Ian David Monroe, Post Producer

Petty Cash 
Lucy Fox, Executive Producer
Lizzy Oppenheimer, Executive Producer    
Anthony Federici, Senior Producer
Rachel Oliver, Production Manager
Vincenzo Dimino, Production Coordinator
Danasia Sutton, Stylist 

Dcoy Studios  
Darren Jordan, Partner 
Jordan Sacks, General Manager 

Exile Editorial – Motion
Kate Undorfer, Producer
Mike Tockman, Sr. VFX Producer
Jess Mutascio, Editor    
Anchor Mak, Assistant Editor
Dino Tsaousis, VFX supervisor 
Adam Greenberg, Flame artist 

Rare Medium – Motion
Heath Raymond, Producer
Mikey Rossiter, Colorist
Tj Seiler, Colorist Assist