• by Danielle Oster , August 16, 2023

Country Crock promises to “Make Your Table Legendary” in the brand’s first major campaign since 2020, introducing the brand’s new tagline.

The campaign runs across broadcast and social video with an ad directed by Clay Weiner centered around a neighborhood mom whose uncanny cooking skills are a source of speculation among a group of friends unsure if there’s an element of the supernatural involved. (In fact, there is something a bit creepy in the way the mom stares at a spoon in one shot, backlit by spectral sunlight.) The approach feels decidedly nostalgic, with the setup of a group of friends riding their bikes around the neighborhood evoking classic 1980s movies (or more recent streaming series inspired by them, such as Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”).

The national, fully integrated campaign is part of a larger effort by parent company Upfield to modernize the brand. It also marks Country Crock’s first work with Preacher, following Upfield’s appointment of the Austin-based independent creative shop as lead agency for Country Crock earlier this year.

In a statement, Country Crock brand director Courtney Cotter explained that the campaign aimed to rekindle affinity among the brand’s “dedicated fans,” while highlighting the spread’s versatility and “introducing the brand to new families across the country."

Upfield’s efforts to modernize the Country Crock brand while banking on nostalgia date back to at least 2019. In 2020, the brand introduced new packaging emphasizing its country roots with a campaign from previous agency partner Ogilvy.