category finalist
kate@familiarcreatures.com
BUBBA burger is the #1 frozen burger. But they were losing share to private label as inflation was forcing consumers to trade down. We immediately noticed BUBBA's quality points, like 100% USDA Choice chuck beef and zero fillers, weren't coming through in marketing. Claims that no other frozen burger brand can make. Our mission: deliver these rational RTBs in a memorable way.
Research showed many of our target consumers don't compromise on quality. Artificial ingredients, preservatives, fillers – all dealbreakers. But BUBBA passes those quality tests and then some, to the point that they're arguably higher quality than butcher-made burgers. So instead of purely shouting rational claims, or erring towards a lifestyle approach that doesn't say anything at all, we aimed to create a moment that educates in a funny yet relatable way.
To assert our quality, we wanted to dispel what some might think about frozen burgers. So we leaned into “unbelievable.” This burger is so tasty and so high quality that it's genuinely hard for anyone to believe, no matter the circumstances. The launch spot, “Unbelievable Lunch,” conveys BUBBA’s unbelievable quality with two equally unbelievable characters: a yeti and an alien. This helped underline the notion that BUBBA burgers are so good, even mythical creatures struggle to believe it.
The humor of the script thrived off the juxtaposition of loud things in a quiet setting. On paper the moment spoke for itself, but to translate it to video we had to stay focused on the concept and keep vigilant to avoid distracting elements. We put a lot into the costuming, prosthetics and makeup to leave no doubt what these characters were, while also making sure it simply looked good. We tapped the talents of Hollywood makeup artists to perform a full day of testing on the actors ahead of the shoot.
Our filmic look is clean, bright and cinematic. There’s a sophistication which compliments the absurdness in the setting while maintaining a quality feel for the brand. We elevated the visuals using a slight forced perspective, so the yeti appears larger than our alien–another small nuance that adds to the comedy.
Come shoot day, we'd done the heavy lifting and got to focus on nailing the perfect performances. It’s easy for an actor to get caught up in the moment when they are transformed into mystical creatures. But it was imperative for us to find performers that can suppress this urge and keep their characters as ordinary as possible. The coverage we captured made for a meticulous editing process full of small decisions. With a dry tone like this, the difference between funny and crickets is a matter of frames. After some coloring and a little tasteful CGI to nail the alien's expressions, it was a wrap.
In addition to the spot, digital and paid social takes direct shots at other burgers, planting our flag as the highest quality patty on the market. For the first time, BUBBA had a fully ownable way to communicate their unbelievable quality.
