Twenty years after Simpson’s iconic mix-up between tuna and chicken, the new campaign is a social media success
BOSTON – Pixability, a leader in AI-driven contextual targeting, brand suitability and performance on YouTube and CTV, today announced the results of a Chicken of the Sea “It’s the One for Me” ad campaign featuring Jessica Simpson. The campaign has become one of the most talked about campaigns of 2024 and follows the iconic mix-up Simpson made between tuna and chicken during an episode of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica twenty years ago. The Chicken of the Sea team recreated the moment for a new digital media campaign using YouTube as the primary communication channel, resulting in not only social buzz but also impressive campaign metrics.
“To announce our newest platform … it seemed perfectly fitting to partner with our friend Jessica Simpson to share how Chicken of the Sea fits into her busy life as a mom, artist and entrepreneur,” said Griffin Raasch, Chicken of the Sea’s director of marketing. “Her iconic, ‘Is it chicken or is it fish?’ moment is part of the fabric of pop culture, and we had a lot of fun working with Jessica to give it a new spin in 2024.”
After creating new social first video assets featuring Jessica and her daughter, the Chicken of the Sea team worked with its media agency, Ignited, and YouTube partner, Pixability, to develop a media plan to reach a broad base of consumers in the U.S., focusing on Millennial pop culture fans 25-44. YouTube had been a top driver of results for the brand in the past and played a central role in this campaign with its ability to be available on consumers and fans’ preferred device. The campaign launched with Simpson posting a video to her Instagram account to capitalize on the virality of her celebrity. The same video then launched on YouTube, which garnered a majority of the budget given its TV-like audience and unrivaled reach on CTV. The video was also launched as a vertical format on YouTube Shorts to mirror TikTok.
Subsequent to its launch, the campaign has reached millions of consumers in the U.S., driving a 2x higher lift in consideration among the core target consumers (females 35-44) compared to other audiences. Video completion rates were 66% above benchmarks and click-through-rates were 30% above benchmarks. The vertical versions of the ads were key to the success, with vertical formats significantly outperforming horizontal versions on YouTube. The top-performing ad creative overall was a vertical ad which captured the interaction between Jessica and her daughter.
The results of the vertical format on YouTube were particularly noteworthy as the industry has increasingly been testing vertical video on YouTube vs. TikTok. YouTube Shorts has grown rapidly over the last two years, with more than two billion logged-in monthly users in 2023 v. 1.5 billion in 2022. Recently, brands have followed suit, turning their attention to short-form vertical advertising on YouTube as TikTok’s future hangs in the balance.
Behavioral targeting also proved to be another key driver of campaign results. Custom entertainment audiences were built for the campaign based on search and website visit behavior. These audiences proved to be the top targeting tactic for video completion rates and also drove 2x higher CTRs. Behavioral targeting tactics have risen in import with impending cookie deprecation and advertisers hope to leverage both contextual and audience targeting in tandem.
“This campaign has really taken on a life of its own, not only performing well from a media metrics standpoint, but also just generating incredible buzz by igniting the iconic 20-year-old Newlywed’s moment to launch the newest offerings from Chicken of the Sea,” said Amy DeMallie, Media Director, Ignited. “We knew that YouTube would be a key component of the success of this launch, reaching consumers beyond the social-sphere, and attribute that to the great teamwork between the team at Chicken of the Sea, our agency partners, and Pixability.”
“Our team was thrilled to work with Ignited and Chicken of the Sea on this breakthrough campaign,” said David George, CEO of Pixability. “As YouTube Shorts grow exponentially among consumers, this was one sign that vertical short-form ad creative works on YouTube, giving advertisers the ability to use combinations of horizontal and vertical formats to drive real engagement with their audiences.”
About Pixability
Pixability is the leading AI-driven technology company that empowers the world’s largest brands and their agencies to maximize the value of their video advertising across YouTube and CTV. Leveraging its proprietary technology platform and data, Pixability makes every video impression matter by identifying contextually relevant, brand suitable inventory and maximizing cost efficient outcomes. Pixability’s suite of solutions are used by the top media agencies including IPG, Publicis, Dentsu, Stagwell, and GroupM, as well as brands such as KIND, McDonalds, Salesforce and CVS. For more information about Pixability, please visit pixstage.wpenginepowered.com.
Contact:
Alexandra Levy
alex@siliconalley-media