Orville Redenbacher’s joined forces with The Ellen DeGeneres Show to copromote Ellen’s debut as host of the 79th Annual Academy Awards and Orville Redenbacher’s return to television advertising.
Challenge
Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn, a part of ConAgra Foods, enlisted the help of Ketchum Entertainment Marketing (KEM) to build a buzz around its planned re-entry into the TV ad world after a 15-year hiatus.
Solution
Nothing says “movies” like a freshly popped bowl of popcorn, so when KEM approached Ellen DeGeneres to do a co-promotion with Orville Redenbacher’s to help celebrate her debut as emcee for the 2007 Oscars, the family-friendly talk show host jumped at the chance. Under the agreement, Ellen would give her audience members an Oscar-winning DVD and a different flavored box of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn once a week for seven weeks, while each time making an elaborate verbal mention and showing product packaging. Viewers were also directed to Ellen’s Web site for a chance to win a VIP trip to Los Angeles and take a peek at the new ad campaign.
Results
Highlights included a popcorn-themed opening monologue, a healthy-snacking endorsement from celebrity trainer, Bob Harper, and a post-Academy Awards bonus product mention when Ellen and audience members snacked on Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn while watching Ellen’s favorite Oscar clips. The program resulted in 72,388,800 total impressions from the 9 total airings and 14 verbal mentions.
