For more than 30 years, Bill Cosby and JELL-O brought smiles, to both kids and adults, through some of the most iconic ad spots of all time. JELL-O and Cosby are reuniting to launch the brand’s most ambitious campaign in years — “Hello JELL-O.”
Now serving behind-the-scenes as an executive producer on the integrated effort, Cosby will help produce a spot by selecting the best giggle in America through a nationwide open casting call staged in 22 cities throughout the summer. In addition, as the presenting sponsor, JELL-O will bring Cosby back to weekly broadcasts of his new all-family web show, “OBKB,” a series of 10-minute webisodes in which Cosby interviews children bringing about smiles and giggles.
The new “Hello JELL-O” campaign is a multi-million dollar effort, featuring a refreshed JELL-O logo, showcasing a smile within the iconic “O” in JELL-O. The new logo will be incorporated through elements of the campaign, including TV, print, PR, online, out-of-home and in-store.
Themed around bringing the happy to America, the television creative is shot in a fresh, bright, documentary style, features JELL-O ambassadors showing up in different towns and cities, interrupting the mundane and the everyday by handing out a little bit of joy in a cup.
The TV campaign, via Draft FCB Chicago, will run for 24 weeks and is comprised of three rotating spots. The first, a New York City-focused spot launches May 17 and JELL-O pudding creative will launch in early June. New print hit stands 5/17 targeting national women’s pubs (monthlies and weeklies).
Bill Cosby will host “OBKB,” a web series presented by JELL-O. “OBKB” is the language of the Mush Mouth character from “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” and it is his expression for “OK.” “Bill-B Cosby-B” interviews kids between the ages of 6 and 11, mining spontaneous and unexpected comedy from their responses. The show will premiere this summer.
The Hello JELL-O “Give it a Giggle” Tour, which features a mobile recording studio, will be crisscrossing the country this summer in search of the best giggles. Consumers will be auditioning for an opportunity to have their giggle, selected by Cosby, featured in a national TV spot. To bring on the giggle, consumers will be able to view content from “OBKB.” The tour kicks off the first week in June from LA and makes stops in 22 cities across the country through August. Consumers can also audition online by submitting their giggle at hellojelloaudition.com starting 6/2. Public voting this fall will pare down giggles and the winning giggle, chosen by Cosby, will be included in a TV spot.
The new JELL-O Facebook page will engage consumers with a downloadable application, “Happy Appy,” that will allow consumers to upload photos of themselves into the new JELL-O “O” logo and share happiness with their friends. In addition, there will be product news, JELL-O recipes and updates about the Hello JELL-O “Give it a Giggle” tour.
The out-of-home campaign kicked off 5/17 and run through June. Hello JELL-O smiley face icons with tongue-in cheek sayings (Joy Vey!, Made you look! Ha! Ha! Meet me at the corner of giggle and snort!), will be stenciled in high-traffic locations, in five markets including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Los Angeles.
JELL-O will also have in-store displays in select stores, a national FSI dropping in June, and updated packaging featuring the new Hello JELL-O “O” logo.
