• by Danielle Oster , November 2, 2023

WIth Halloween over, brands are turning to the month ahead and the upcoming holiday season. But at least one brand is focusing on another November occasion, one you’d be forgiven for thinking corporate entities would prefer not to comment on.

Nut brand Orchard Valley Harvest is taking on a widely known month-long moratorium with its campaign, created with agency partner Terri & Sandy, telling audiences to “Say No To No Nut November.” For those who have managed to avoid the discourse, “No Nut November” (NNN) is a more-discusssed-than-practiced challenge, mostly aimed at young men, to avoid (there’s really no way to put this delicately, is there?), uh, release for the entirety of the month. (Also Think “Seinfeld” and the “master of my domain” contest.)

Orchard Valley Harvest’s message makes its debut with a 30-second ad running on platforms including Meta and Youtube. The ad features a brand mascot named Ovie which brings to life its “OVH” brand logo.

In the double-entendre-fueled ad, Ovie shows up to advocate for a pair of college-aged guys to give up on No Nut November and “enjoy the pleasure of a good nut,” perhaps misunderstanding the nature of the term in context.

The campaign also includes activations on digital channels including X and Grindr (the social media and dating application targeted toward gay, bisexual, and transgender people), where Ovie is featured making risque remarks like “With OVH you’re never far from a good nut!” -- as well as organic placements on the No Nut November subreddit group on Reddit.

No Nut November is not a cultural phenomenon you’d expect to see brands discuss, with perhaps some exceptions for those in the sexual wellness space and brand social media accounts known for provocative one-off posts. That unexpectedness, of course, is part of the point, and is designed to raise awareness (as well as some eyebrows) as the company engages in a larger rebranding effort.

"As part of Orchard Valley Harvest’s rebrand, this campaign aims to spark conversation by showing up in an unexpected, yet authentic place for a snack nut brand,” John Goetter, vice president of marketing at Orchard Valley Harvest parent company  John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., said in a statement. “Ovie’s crusade to ‘Say No’ to No Nut November celebrates nut lovers everywhere and is a continuation of the culturally relevant and tongue-in-cheek humor we intend to bring to this category.”

The campaign also includes a rebate component in support of the brand’s crusade against No Nut November. Customers can upload their receipt of OVH purchases made during November from today until Dec. 2 to receive a reimbursement of up to $25, with the brand committing to total reimbursements of up to $20,000.

Whatever else you might say about the campaign, a brand telling its audience to “enjoy a nice, satisfying nut this November” is certainly attention-grabbing.

““We’re always looking for ways to inject our brands into culture. The best brands find ways to do it in a natural way. Starting a crusade against No Nut November, might not be something most nut brands would do, and that’s why we wanted to do it,” said Chris Cannon, Creative Director at Terri & Sandy.

How “natural” viewers find the brand’s effort – and to what degree it pushes, or exceeds, the boundaries of good taste – may vary, but one thing they’re unlikely to find the campaign is forgettable. As for the rebranding, the “OVH Spells Good” tagline and use of the Ovie mascot follow their introduction earlier with an effort which also traded in risque (some might say adolescent) humor with ads like “O Face” and “Left Nut.” So it seems the provocative humor approach is central to OVH’s rebranded marketing, but the current campaign certainly takes things to a new level or raunchiness which it’s hard to imagine the brand duplicating again.