Embrace Absurdity
*Spec created while interning at Ogilvy LA for the 2024 Ogilvy Intern Project Competition
The Ask: Create a social-first campaign that drives awareness with Gen Z for Jimmy Dean through the Sausage, Egg and Cheese Griddle Cake Sandwich
The Problem: Gen Z does not think of Jimmy Dean when choosing breakfast because the brand’s radical optimism does not resonate with them
Insight: Gen Z has created their own definition of optimism: Optimistic Nihilism
Optimistic Nihilism: The idea that life has no objective meaning; nothing matters, so we might as well enjoy life and treat ourselves while we’re here. We define our own purpose.
Idea: Jimmy Dean’s Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Griddle Cake Sandwich is the most absurd sandwich in the world
Strategy:
Use Gen Z absurdist humor to connect the absurdity of life to the absurdity of the sandwich
The absurd sandwich ——>
Jimmy Dean’s sausage, egg, and cheese nestled between
two maple or blueberry pancakes (like………whaaaaaaat??)
“Healthy breakfast, healthy you!”
“A good breakfast means a good day!”
Nope. That ain’t it.
Gen Z breakfast eaters don’t buy it.
Sorry, not sorry.
“Life is meaningless.”
“We’re all going to die.”
Now we’re talking.
Go ahead. Call us nihilists.
But don’t confine us to that.
We don’t hide from life’s meaninglessness. We embrace it.
Because life is meaningless, we create our own meaning.
Because we’re all going to die, we might as well live.
After all, life is ludicrous.
Meeting your doppelgänger.
Contagious yawning.
Eating breakfast at any time and still calling it breakfast.
Jimmy Dean’s Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich nestled between two pancakes.
Come on, does a sandwich really need pancakes as buns?
Not at all. That’s ridiculous.
But eating it isn’t.
And who really cares? The universe certainly doesn’t.
Life is full of absurdity.
Embrace Absurdity.
Manifesto
Phase 1: Kickoff
Nov 3, 2024 - National Sandwich Day
Snapchat and Instagram GIFs
Memes Memes Memes Memes
Unlike its competitors, Jimmy Dean is severely lacking a social TOV. We’ll engage with Gen Z through relatable memes reflecting their absurd humor and optimistic nihilism.
“Surprise” PR Packages
We’ll send these mysterious packages to our selected influencers on National Sandwich Day (Nov.3.2024)
The package will count down from 1 minute and 30 seconds which maaaay or may not be how long it takes to heat up a Jimmy Dean Griddle Cake Sandwich.
Each Influencer will post a Tik Tok on their personal accounts to promote the absurd PR package.
Phase 2: Engagement
Nov 20, 2024 - National Absurdity Day
Yes, this is a real holiday :)
Absurd Breakfast Buses
Absurd Breakfast Buses will arrive at the universities our influencers attended, encouraging a vast number of students and fans to show up, organically growing media attention.
Sandwich launchers will shoot sandwiches to attendees as more are hand-delivered via electric unicycle. Each sandwich will be specially wrapped with messaging to leave recipients with a feeling of optimistic nihilism.
Phase 3: Conversion
Nov 28, 2024 - Thanksgiving Day Parade
User Generated Content
Leading up to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, people who post themselves with the Griddle Cake Sandwich using #embraceabsurdity will be featured on the Jimmy Dean Absurd Thanksgiving Day Parade Float.
My Role: Copywriter
Art Director and Designer: Taylor Stone
Strategist: Allie Richter
PR: Claire Quan
Account Manager: Allen Ford