J.M. Smucker hopes to spread Jif peanut
butter’s appeal beyond all the usual places, with its first major rebrand in 30 years. A new campaign, “Every Jif'ing
Thing,” highlights the new look. The more modern redesign revives the brand’s signature tri-color banner and includes new imagery, which better conveys the whole point of the effort:
ways to get people eating more peanut butter, more often, on more occasions.
The move comes as the company experiences a decline in sales in the spread division, with consumers making all
kinds of changes in their snacking and eating habits. Some are looking to add more protein, perhaps as a result of taking a GLP-1 drug. Some are looking to cut grocery bills, trading down to private
labels more frequently. And some just want to make eating easier.
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“Snacking remains popular as consumers turn to snacks in lieu of larger meals to meet a desire for greater convenience
throughout their days,” says Shelly Kowal, marketing director of the Ohio-based company. “Jif peanut butter is a great-tasting, convenient snacking option to pair with numerous snacks, and
we wanted to reflect that in a significant manner while refreshing how we present the brand.”
The ad, from BBH USA, re-spins “O Fortuna,” an unmistakable classical piece, and
highlights the way peanut butter can be used in everything from ramen to S’mores to smoothies, focusing on three-letter words like dip, sip, mix and zip.
The rebrand builds on a string
of recent efforts to expand where and how people eat Jif. In 2024, it made a splash giving away free peanut butter in a “Save the Celery” campaign tied to the Super Bowl, aimed at rescuing
the celery stalks many people abandon when diving into platters of chicken wings.
And earlier this year, the brand debuted a new entry aimed at those looking for fewer chemicals in their food:
Jif Simply. The first variety is made from just three ingredients and delivers eight grams of plant-based protein per serving.
An important part of the rebrand is continuing that line
expansion with the introduction of squeezable formats that make snacking easier, like Jif Peanut Butter & Chocolate Flavored Spread and Jif Simply Peanut Butter Spread, which broaden how fans can
enjoy the brand, Kowal tells CPG Insider via email. The brand also renamed Jif To Go to Jif Dippers to better convey its portability and its potential for snackable
dipping occasions.
The goal is to help Jif, the best-selling brand in the U.S. according to Circana, build relevance amid shifting palates. “This brand refresh and new campaign reflect
our understanding of evolving consumer preferences and the opportunity we have to play an even greater role in snacking occasions,” Kowal says.
The new look will hit store shelves
in October, and the campaign will be promoted across several channels to ensure meaningful reach, including broadcast, streaming, online video, Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest, she says.