Oscar Mayer is taking a unique approach to advertising its Thick-Cut Bacon. The company recently launched a creative campaign that hijacks traditional commercials to highlight its meticulous 12-hour smoking process. Here’s how they’re doing it.

The Concept: Fake Ads, Real Bacon

The campaign, developed by Johannes Leonardo, begins with tantalizing shots of sizzling bacon, accompanied by a voiceover explaining the brand’s extended smoking process. Just as viewers are drawn in, the ad abruptly cuts to seemingly unrelated commercials — one for a fictional lip gloss brand called Glimmiér, and another for a men’s razor. However, the twist comes when it’s revealed that bacon is still being smoked in the background of these fake ads.

The Execution: Disrupting Traditional Ads

Oscar Mayer’s spots, available in both 30- and 15-second versions, cleverly interrupt ads for non-existent products to draw attention to their bacon. Each fake ad mirrors typical industry tropes, like a close-up of a woman applying lip gloss or an animated razor blade cutting through hairs. Suddenly, the focus shifts back to the bacon being smoked, underscoring the lengthy process that distinguishes Oscar Mayer from its competitors.

Zack Roif, Creative Director at Johannes Leonardo, explains the strategy: “All bacon ads are about bacon, but when your bacon is smoked longer than most, sometimes your bacon ad will run into a beauty ad, or a shaving ad. When the regular 15-second media buy just isn’t enough time to demonstrate how long we smoke your bacon, we took aim at disrupting all the other ads to prove our point.”

The Impact: Innovative Advertising

This playful disruption is reminiscent of other memorable marketing stunts, such as Tubi’s Super Bowl ad that mimicked a channel change and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’s parody of luxury perfume commercials. Oscar Mayer's latest effort is designed to catch viewers off guard and keep them engaged, while effectively communicating the brand’s unique selling point.

The Team and Channels

The campaign isn’t just about creativity; it’s also about strategic placement. Oscar Mayer worked with Carat U.S. and GroupBlack for paid media, Cashmere for cultural marketing, The Kitchen for social media, and Zeno Group for PR. The ads are set to run across iHeart Radio, Twitch, and various sports media channels, targeting multicultural millennials who resonate with both gaming and music.

Keeping It Fun

Shelby Max, Brand Communications Manager for Oscar Mayer, summed up the brand’s approach: “At Oscar Mayer, our goal is to ‘Keep It Oscar’ in everything we do by bringing a sense of fun and levity to the everyday. We opted to meet them in unexpected ways to challenge the traditional paid media mix.”

A Legacy of Playful Campaigns

This latest initiative is part of the broader “Keep It Oscar” brand platform, which has previously included lighthearted and quirky campaigns. In 2022, the brand introduced “bologna-inspired” face masks to poke fun at the self-care industry, and partnered with Mint Mobile to offer “A Side of Bacon” for new subscribers.

Oscar Mayer’s latest campaign not only showcases their Thick-Cut Bacon but also reinforces their commitment to fun, innovative marketing. By blending humor with a clear message, they’re proving that even in advertising, a little creativity goes a long way.