• by Fern Siegel , Yesterday

BBQ sauce Sweet Baby Ray’s worships flavor. That's the premise behind its “Say No to Dry January” campaign, which offers a jingle, a saucey giveaway, and influencer partnerships.

The brand is so opposed to sauceless food it's on a mission to fight dryness. And while Dry January traditionally refers to abstaining from alcohol, Sweet Baby Ray's took it a tongue-in-cheek step further. 

Created in partnership with creative agency GYK, the campaign underpins Sweet Baby Ray’s brand platform, Sauce First, which touts its wide variety of flavors, including Garlic Buffalo and Sweet Red Chili. For fans, there are 26 varieties of Sweet Baby Ray's sauces.

Mike Stevens, GYK’s managing director, told Agency Daily: “Dry January gave us the perfect backdrop to flip a growing cultural trend on its head in a bold, unmistakable way. As a brand rooted in a sauce-first lifestyle, it felt like a natural opportunity to grab attention and reinforce our belief that no food should ever be left dry or bland. January is also a moment when most people are making resolutions — usually centered around saying no. And if there's one thing The Boss of Sauce wants people to say no to, it's sauceless, boring food.”

The campaign runs on paid social, display and a campaign landing page through Feb. 1. There, sauce lovers can make their pledge, enter the giveaway and find cocktail-inspired sauce recipes, such as Virgin Buffalo Bloody Mary or the kickin' bourbon turkey tips.

Various influencers — @natemeeker, @thirstywhale, @adamwitt, @CodyTriesStuff and @whathappenedlastnightt — are also participating.

Sweet Baby Ray's was founded by two Chicago brothers in 1980, but is now owned by Ken's Foods. GYK's creative work includes Sallie Mae, the Boston Bruins and Cedar's Foods.