AdMiration feature: Jif’s “JIF JIF JIF JIF”

For this week’s AdMiration feature, we looked at consumer response to Jif’s “JIF JIF JIF JIF” ad — part of the brand's first major refresh campaign in 30 years. 

Read on to get our 3-2-1 snapshot of the ad (3 facts, 2 learnings and 1 reflection) and learn how their ad was received based on our data.

The ad opens with the familiar Jif logo as a dramatic, choir-backed version of “O Fortuna” begins to build. 

The brand’s iconic red, blue and green stripes then start transforming, with the word “Jif” repeatedly appearing and evolving into action-oriented words like “dip,” “sip” and “mix,” rapidly cutting between a series of snacking and meal occasions from Jif being spread, dipped, mixed and incorporated into everything from classic snacks and fruit to smoothies, yogurt bowls and savory dishes like peanut butter ramen. 

The fast-paced food shots are interspersed with social-style visuals and close-ups of the product and continues to accelerate as more uses for Jif flash across the screen.

The ad closes by bringing the focus back to the Jif name and its recognizable logo, landing on the campaign's “Every Jif’ing Thing” slogan.

3 facts

• This was a strong ad from Jif, landing in the top 15% of US ads for ability to drive short-term sales and the top 10% for its ability to drive brand equity over the long term (Sales Impact: 87, Brand Impact: 91).

• It stands out from other advertising in the category (Ad Distinctiveness: 4.1 vs. 3.7 norm) and reads as an ad that could only be for Jif, with an incredible 87% of people remembering the Jif brand after watching the ad (Unaided Brand Recall: 87% vs. 70% norm).

• The key message that there are multiple ways to use Jif peanut butter is seen as clear and believable (Clarity: 4.4 vs 4.2 norm, Believability: 4.4 vs 4.1 norm), ultimately resulting in increased consideration for Jif! (Purchase Uplift: 31% vs. 22% norm) — a fantastic win for the brand’s intended refresh campaign.  

2 learnings

A well-branded ad can still be entertaining. There's a real playfulness to the execution of this spot, which largely revolves around many Jif brand cues. From the sweeping variations of the red, blue and green stripes, to the Jif logo changing to “DIP,” “SIP” or “MIX” as the different ways to enjoy Jif peanut butter are shown and the action unfolds, this spot proves that a well-branded spot filled with brand cues can also be entertaining while clearly getting the message across. And people were certainly entertained, with Like as the dominant emotion throughout, spiking whenever there’s a close up of food with peanut butter with some sharing “Loved the product versatility shown. Clever use of words associated with Jif label colors" and “I think it was a good way to use visuals and the song at the same time. It is a very appealing ad."

Music is a great element for setting the tone. Without the reimagined version of “O Fortuna” Jif used in this spot, the ad would have a very different feeling to it. The track gave the ad a fun, upbeat, catchy and high-energy tone, which many viewers praised (Musical Appeal: 4.2 vs. 3.8 norm). People specifically called it “catchy,” “peppy,” “dramatic” and “fun,” and liked how it worked together with the visuals. The song choice also helped generate humor and make the ad memorable, with some sharing: "I loved the music, it made it more dramatic and I loved seeing all the different meals that you could include peanut butter in" and "I enjoyed the whole ad. The catchy jingle and the different things each word was for.”

1 reflection

Is there an opportunity to reintroduce your product or brand for more occasions?

While Jif peanut butter has been around for 68 years, making its nationwide debut in 1958, it’s been more than 30 years since the brand has launched a refresh campaign. 

Aside from the passage of time, the brand noted an opportunity to reintroduce themselves based on research conducted with consumers. They found that while 85% of consumers can identify their brand from its three colored stripes without seeing its name, that recognition is heavily associated with PB&J, with Jif showing up in only 4% of overall snacking occasions. 

With this information, the opportunity for a refreshed introduction was clear: The peanut butter people already know and love can be used for much more than the traditional PB&J sandwich.   

The goal for Jif with this campaign, and for any brand with a similar campaign, was to successfully deliver this new message. And they knocked it out of the park. The message that there are multiple ways to use Jif peanut butter was seen as clear and believable, a key indicator of success for a refresh, with some describing the message as: “That Jif peanut butter can be used in a lot of different ways” and “That Jif goes with anything.”

What’s more, the most consistent positive comment people mentioned was seeing so many different ways to use and enjoy Jif, making its versatility one of the biggest likes people expressed. Many people liked being told how and when to use the product, moving well beyond traditional peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and into snacks, meals, desserts, smoothies, dipping, cooking, and more in an engaging, clear manner — resulting in nearly two-thirds agreeing that Jif is “great for everyday snacking” after watching the ad.

This is exactly what a brand aiming to reintroduce themselves wants to see. Ask yourself: Is there an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves for new occasions? Have we seen new consumer behavior that indicates an opportunity? And how can we effectively communicate that?

This ad is part of Jif’s “Every Jif’ing Thing” campaign — the brand’s first major refresh in 30 years. 

The spot was developed by PSOne, the Power of One solution for The J.M. Smucker Co., and creatively led by BBH USA.

And the refresh is based on research. Jif’s research found that while 85% of consumers can identify the brand from its three colored stripes without seeing its name, that recognition is heavily associated with PB&J. 

Ryan Morand, brand experience at The J.M. Smucker Co. shares, “People know and love Jif for PB&J, but that is only part of the story. With ‘Every Jif’ing Thing,’ we are taking one of the brand’s most iconic assets and using it to inspire new behaviours, new recipes and new occasions, while keeping the unmistakable personality that has made Jif a household favourite.”

The refresh campaign was designed to celebrate and showcase the many ways consumers can enjoy Jif peanut butter today, from everyday snacking occasions to the traditional PB&J. This work builds on the brand’s history of continually expanding the role it can play in consumers’ lives (Think: 'Save the Celery'). 

Shelly Kowal, Marketing Director at The J.M. Smucker Co. shares, "We're excited to introduce a refreshed look for Jif that better celebrates the role the brand plays in consumers' everyday lives. This is our first major design update in more than 30 years, and we approached it with real intention. We wanted to honor the iconic elements people know and love while bringing new energy to the shelf. Jif has evolved from being one of the key ingredients in a PB&J to also serving as a delicious complement to so many snacking occasions, and this new branding celebrates that."

The campaign is set to run across broadcast, streaming, TV, online video, Meta, TikTok and Pinterest.

Jif delivered a refresh campaign that works on both fronts, with their ad landing in the top 15% of US ads for ability to drive short-term sales and the top 10% for its ability to drive brand equity over the long term (Sales Impact: 87, Brand Impact: 91).

It’s a distinctive ad that stands out in the category, allowing it to drive great reach and be noticed and remembered (Distinctiveness: 4.1 vs. 3.7 norm, Claimed Attention 4.2 vs. 3.9 norm, Brand Distinctiveness 3.9 vs. 3.7 norm).

What’s more, it’s seen as an ad that could only be for Jif, with an incredible 87% of people remembering Jif after watching the ad in a clutter reel (Unaided Brand Recall: 87% vs. 70% norm). People primarily identified the brand from the Jif logo, color scheme and the packaging — an important win considering the packaging was just redesigned!

A critical piece of the campaign, the message that there are multiple ways to use Jif peanut butter is seen as clear and believable, with some describing the message as: “That Jif peanut butter can be used in a lot of different ways” and “That Jif goes with anything.”

Even better, the most consistent positive comment people mentioned was seeing so many different ways to use and enjoy Jif. People liked that the ad moved beyond traditional peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and showed Jif in snacks, meals, desserts, smoothies, dipping, cooking, and more. 

In fact, several people specifically said the ad gave them new ideas for using peanut butter or inspired them to try combinations they hadn't considered before. And after watching the ad, nearly two-thirds agree that Jif is “great for everyday snacking” — great news for a brand trying to introduce themselves into more snacking occasions! 

When it comes to what people felt while watching the ad, Like is the dominant emotion throughout — spiking whenever there’s a good close up of food with peanut butter, but Love comes out on top at the end as the music reaches its conclusion and we see the full table of food — ultimately leaving people on a high note of Love (Love: 34% vs. 27% norm).

Ultimately people liked that the ad was fun, exciting, entertaining, upbeat, playful, catchy and high-energy. 

And the music was also frequently praised (Musical Appeal: 4.2 vs. 3.8 norm). People called it catchy, peppy, dramatic and fun, and liked how it worked together with the visuals, which  helped make the ad memorable. 

Some respondents shared:  

• “I enjoyed the whole ad. The catchy jingle and the different things each word was for. Dip a pretzel in. Sip a smoothie with it in there, make a s’more with peanut butter. You can just do a lot with it."

• "Loved the music in the background. Loved the product versatility shown. Clever use of words associated with Jif label colors."

• "I loved the music, it made it more dramatic and I loved seeing all the different meals that you could include peanut butter in."

• "I think it was a good way to use visuals and the song at the same time. It is a very appealing ad."

• “It was high energy and caught my attention."

All of this ultimately led to increased consideration for Jif (Purchase Uplift: 31% vs. 22% norm) as well as more positive associations toward the Jif brand (Brand Appeal: 4.1 vs. 3.9 norm)!

Jif said “Allow us to reintroduce ourselves” and consumers fully embraced it — a fantastic win for a brand that’s been around for over 65 years.  

What did you think? Let us know by interacting with our coverage of the ads on LinkedIn.

To make sure you never miss one of our AdMiration analyses, subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter.