What happens when you combine ’80s workout videos, healthy snacking and a dash of modern irony? The American Pecan Promotion Board (APPB) in collaboration with their marketing agency Signal Theory, created their latest campaign, “Snacksercise,” which delivers a fresh take on New Year’s wellness messaging by deliberately stepping away from the polished perfection of today’s fitness content.

Why it’s Noteworthy:

  • The evolution of this campaign flips the script on serious health food marketing with purposefully nostalgic creative
  • Strategic media buys including Gym TV placements, meeting consumer resolution-makers where they are
  • Extends successful “Surprisingly Snackable” campaign with fitness-focused evolution
  • Demonstrates how commodity brands can create distinctive brand voices

The campaign features a spandex-clad instructor demonstrating pecan-themed workouts like “The Top Shelf Reach” and “Pecan Crunches,” all presented in VHS-style footage that would make Richard Simmons and Suzanne Somers proud.

The spot will be available on premium CTV/OTT networks and streaming platforms, and apps such as ABC, Hulu, Food Network and YouTube TV. The campaign also includes strategies for e-commerce, in-store activations, influencer marketing, social media promotion, digital marketing and gym TV placements.

“In a world where health food brands can often take themselves seriously, we wanted to talk about nutrition in a different approachable way – through nostalgia and humor,” says Joe Wilper, creative director at Signal Theory. “Our target consumer no doubt remembers the late-night, cheesy workout commercials and maybe has a few VHS tapes collecting dust somewhere. We’re tapping into that shared memory of exercise fads and using it to highlight that healthy snacking can be fun.”

Creative Credits

Agency/Production Company: Signal Theory
Joe Wilper, Creative Director
Nick Kinney, Associate Creative Director
Brent Davidson, Group Creative Director
Lauren Langfitt, Executive Producer
Cinematographer/Editor: Richard Kerr
Photographer: Brian Yates
Associate Account Director: Paige Krauss
Project Management Director: Lindsey Hicks
Audio Production: Evolution Audio
Audio Engineer: John Blank