By Johnsonville’s Father’s Day “Bratfast” Ad Depicts Meat Utopia
What does Dad really want for Father’s Day? A fishing trip? Uninterrupted time to “rest his eyes” in front of the TV? According to Johnsonville and Droga5, the perfect Dad’s day starts with a Bratfast.
In one man’s slightly insane recurring dream, he is welcomed by a steaming hot brat in a bun for breakfast (or Bratfast) in bed. What could be better? A nightmarish brat man with a brat nose and unblinking eyes, squirting mustard on the brat? Dad’s fingers turning into ten tasty sausages? Turning into Dad a brat himself? Meaty utopia is finally settled when he returns back to his human state, with his loving wife and child morphed into life-size brats. Apparently he could do worse than living with encased, grilled pork.
Johnsonville is working to make Bratfast a trend, encouraging brat enthusiasts to wake dad up with a fresh brat and capture the moment on camera, then posting it to the Johnsonville Facebook page or tweeting at @Johnsonville with #BratfastInBed. In another push for social media engagement, Johnsonville has released a new app, “The Brat Signal”.
With just a push of a button, subscribers can send an alert through social media channels to let followers know they’re grilling out, presumably with Johnsonville products. In the words of Johnsonville, “It’s perfect for those times when you’ve grilled up too many brats, need more brats or don’t have any brats but want to trick your friends into helping you move a couch.”
The Ham’s Take
The new push to promote Johnsonville as the creator of “sausage families” comes from Droga5 with an unexpected campaign. It’s a welcome break from the stereotypical ads that center on the backyard barbeque scene. The ads are odd, yet endearing–featuring the tagline “We don’t make sausage. We make family. And sausage.” The families aren’t Stepford material but they fit the new tone of Johnsonville without question, trading perfection for a quirkiness typically seen by brands toting sugary candies or energy drinks.
It’s unclear whether the new ads will resonate with a public that has come to expect wholesomeness from food brands, but one thing is certain, the ads are surprising with just the right amount of quirk. Johnsonville may be forging a new path when it comes to food industry advertising but can the pure meaty excitement of Bratfast truly replace #1 Dad mugs and themed ties? Only time will tell.
