Commentary

After Seven Years, Wonderful Halos Are Back On TV

 

The Wonderful Company’s Halos, a leading mandarin brand, is heading back into TV advertising for the first time in seven years. Ads for the sunny fruits take a dark turn, as kids get even with parents poaching the last mandarin, whether that means ratting mom out to the IRS or cutting dad’s brake lines. The campaign is launching as consumers are increasing their love for the little guys, with sales of mandarins rising to $1.89 billion in 2023, a 4.1% jump from the prior year. Jennifer Hirano, vice president of marketing for the Wonderful Company, tells CPG Insider what’s behind the new advertising strategy.

 Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CPG Insider: What sparked this idea? It’s a twist to show how kids can occasionally be diabolical instead of just adorable.

Jennifer Hirano: The insight is that parents are overwhelmed with all the decisions they must make every day and feel a lot of pressure, especially when it comes to feeding their kids. So, we rallied on this idea of Halos as a snack that’s good for children and that they love. It’s playful, fun and a new way to highlight Halo.

CPG Insider: They’re fun spots -- especially with the IRS charging through the windows.

Hirano: We had fun making them, too. We shot them in Atlanta last month, and I was so impressed that both got done in just two takes. Considering all the action -- breaking down the door in one and the car crash in the second -- the shoot went well and was so quick!

CPG Insider: Why launch the campaign now, and why add TV to the mix?

Hirano: This is the perfect time, seasonally. We’re heading into the winter with the California season, and Halos are full of Vitamin C. I’ve only been here about eight months, but in years past, we backed off due to different budgets and priorities.

We are adding distribution for Halos now and want to invest more in the brand with emotional storytelling, which is just easier to do on TV.

CPG Insider: What’s the media plan like? Gen Z moms are famously not watching much TV but doing plenty of streaming and consuming a lot of TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Hirano: Yes. Ads are running on Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, and NBC Peacock, as well as in social media, out-of-home, experiential events, brand partnerships, and in-store displays, making it the brand’s largest campaign in five years.

We are on plenty of social. We created a character called Hal the Halo, launched just a year ago, and we are also ramping up investment in that content. We’ve got an internal process that I think is pretty special -- we meet every Monday with the Wonderful Agency, our in-house creative team, and come up with different TikTok trend ideas. New creative is usually live by Thursday or Friday.

CPG Insider: You’ve also been at Dole, so you are familiar with branded produce, and Halos competes directly with Cuties, owned by Sun Pacific. What makes people willing to pay a little more for produce with a brand name?

Hirano: If you're buying a bag of fruit, you want to make sure that the quality is there. It's a commitment. You don't want something that will start to go bad in a couple of days. Some people would rather buy a brand they know. This campaign helps that by adding brand personality. We want them to buy Halos not just because they recognize the name, but because people feel the brand understands them and speaks their language.

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