Best Branded Content - Creative Examples from Snapple

Some brands do a lot of talking, and may even use aspects of dialogue to their advantage, like we explored with Nike last month. While others are simply providing the topic.

If a brand is defined by its story, and a story begins at the origin, recognizing and utilizing this point of entrance—the where that started the what—is a content strategy that’s about connection.

Snapple is a name that probably hasn’t been on consumers’ lips for quite some time. The brand’s advertising in recent years has been scarce at best, but their most recent venture doesn’t seem to really need it. As part of a summer campaign, Snapple is promoting its new Lady LiberTEA by showing how much it hearts NY—the state where Snapple was born. And doing so primarily online, socially.

Hometown Heroes

Take a look at the brand’s current homepage and you’ll see the declaration that New Yorkers #LoveSnapple. If you’ve watched a video on Hulu lately, you may also have noticed that rather than your typical commercial break, you’re greeted with Snapple’s famous “Real Facts”, in the form of a quiz all about New York. Have a Tumblr? So does Snapple. And they’re telling America that New Yorkers love Snapple, so you should show how you love it, too.

If you’ve been on Twitter, you’ll see Snapple’s feed is currently a declaration to its hometown, so loved by New Yorkers, in fact, that Jimmy Fallon (the current face of the Tonight Show and New York state as a consequence) used his own studio audience for a special Snapple plug.

So, what’s the goal behind the strategy being heavily (and smartly) used? This strong tie back to Snapple’s birthplace helps create an emotional attachment to the brand—it’s celebrating its spirit by tapping into New York’s, and flashing its style by leveraging that of its hometown. Snapple is intrinsically tying itself to one of the most famous cities in the world and consequently positioning itself to become a quintessential aspect of the place behind its beginnings.

This strategy of hometown pride is often a successful one because it engages consumers—it encourages them to interact with the brand. It’s also why Snapple’s choice to roll out this campaign online, rather than in print or on-air, was a deliberate decision worthy of a few, well, snaps. New Yorkers are actively participating, while at the same time, non-New Yorkers don’t want to be left out, and are sharing their own stories to be a part of Snapple’s.

This is a clever example of a brand that many may not often talk about starting a conversation with its consumers. And “Real Fact”: people are talking now.