Brisk and Cheddar Cheese(?)
It's common for us to associate things in pairs, things that we often think of as things that come together. For example, socks and shoes, queso and tortilla chips, nuts and bolts, milk and cereal, and the list goes on. But there’s one combo that you may not think of going together (or maybe you do if you’ve seen the ads)… and that is Brisk and cheddar cheese.
A still shot of the original Brisk and Cheddar Cheese ad.
Yes, Brisk, the large tea and juice brand, has recently marketed itself to go great with cheddar cheese. Brisk has been inactive on social media in the past, with their Facebook page only being updated occasionally. However, their presence on Instagram and TikTok has grown significantly in recent years, particularly in 2023 when they began posting more regularly and keeping up with current trends within the worlds of teens and young adults; Gen Z. What really stood out and grabbed Gen Z's attention was their latest marketing campaign.
So what made this most recent campaign so much more successful than the others? Easy, this was completely unique. It wasn’t just a jump on a dying trend, something many other companies were doing and because others were doing it, it was getting lost in the noise. This was my first interaction with their new campaign:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMCH8hc8/
So, what made this marketing campaign so successful? Easy, it was completely unique and not just another attempt to jump on a dying trend. Unlike other companies that were getting lost in the noise by doing the same thing as everyone else, Brisk found a way to stand out from the crowd while properly targeting their audience and understanding them.
Gen Z is more likely to use Instagram and TikTok regularly over Facebook, which is where the ads can be found. Facebook is used more regularly by older generations, a very different demographic. Brisk's placement is perfect for their target audience. When it comes to iced teas, the younger demographic makes up a large portion of their sales because it’s are newer to the soft drink game. Many older consumers would rather make their own iced tea, whether it be from brewing or crystals, than purchase a bottled tea. Iced tea is also a great alternative for those who don't like or can't have carbonated drinks. So, Brisk knows that its largest consumer segment is the Gen Z population.
Lastly, the content and understanding of their audience. This will make or break a marketing campaign, even if you’ve targeted the right audience and placed it within the ideal media channel. If it doesn’t resonate with your audience or break through the noise, you’ve got nothing. So, knowing what we know, we must find a way to capture the attention of Gen Z, our target audience on TikTok and Instagram. To appeal to Gen Z the best way is via humour, as that’s what grabs their attention best. So then what does Gen Z find funny? Nonsense, the answer would be nonsense. As someone who’s a part of Gen Z, there’s been an uptick in nonsensical memes in the last decade. It follows the standard meme format but then breaks the norm and is a complete change from what is seen while doom scrolling. Because it is so unsuspected from the often monotone feel of doom scrolling, that is what makes it so humorous. And what is more nonsensical (while still promoting your brand) than aligning it with something random and claiming it to follow standard pairings?
Another important detail of Gen Z is their dislike for large corporations. They don’t want to be reminded of the damage of pyramid schemes and capitalism, in which large corporations are the villains. And so Brisk made the ad appear as though an intern made it in a 30-minute take. Even the voice-over sounds like a random guy who doesn’t know what to say or have a script.
Thanks to their understanding of their brand and their target audience, they’ve been able to create a marketing campaign that reads like a story and keeps its audience interested. Here are some of the following ads:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMB5kvGx/
A caption of a following ad that talks about the creation of Brisk and Cheddar Cheese hoodies.
What the supposed hoodie looks like.
(And yes I do want the sweater!)
Brisk and cheddar cheese is a marketing muse! Let’s discuss this further in the comments!
