Kettle Brand Campaign: 'Nobody Likes Kettle Chips. They Love Them'

Diamond Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq:DMND) recently launched a new marketing campaign to expand national awareness for Kettle Brand, a pioneer in the batch-cooked, all natural potato chip category. The campaign marks the first national television campaign in the history of the nearly 30 year old Kettle Brand.

"For almost 30 years, Kettle Brand growth has been fueled by word-of-mouth advocacy,"said Craig Tokusato, Vice President of Marketing for Diamond Foods. "After discovering that first taste of Kettle Brand chips, our consumers fall in love. We believe everyone deserves an incredible-tasting, all natural potato chip and are excited to introduce more chip lovers to what Kettle Brand loyalists have known all along."

"Nobody Likes Kettle Chips. They Love Them"

The "Nobody Likes Kettle Chips. They Love Them"campaign kicks off this week with 30 and 15-second national TV spots, print advertisements, public relations, in-store marketing and digital advertisements. This is the second creative campaign from Diamond Foods' partnership with brand agency Deutsch/LA.

In the dialogue-free spots, dramatic opera music contrasts with mundane, everyday moments to embody the emotional highs and lows experienced by characters whose longings for Kettle Brand chips go humorously unfulfilled.

"This campaign is about the unique passion and love people feel for Kettle Brand chips,"Tokusato said. "We were inspired by real consumers describing the extraordinary lengths they go to during ordinary moments to get, save and enjoy their favorite Kettle Brand chips. Most potato chips are likable, but nobody merely likes Kettle Brand chips. They love them."

Campaign details:

• The television campaign launched on October 16th during Sunday Night Football as well as on national network prime time and premium cable channels, and will air on the opening game of the Major League Baseball World Series on October 19th;
• The campaign is comprised of three 30 and three 15 second spots, each featuring an original operatic score recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London by real opera singers in Italian and German. Observant consumers will discover humorously created words throughout the spots;
• Supporting the campaign will be digital display and online video, as well as print and in-store marketing to help support and encourage trial at retailers nationwide.

In conjunction with the advertising campaign, the company is giving away 30,000 bags of Kettle Brand Potato Chips in honor of its upcoming 30-year anniversary, thanking fans for their love and loyalty. Fans who register via Facebook will receive a coupon in the mail for a free bag while supplies last.

This campaign is the latest in a long tradition of investment in growth and brand building by the company across its portfolio including Diamond of California, Emerald, Pop Secret and Kettle Brand. Recent results for the brand across several retail channels show that Kettle Brand potato chips grew 6.9 percent in the twelve week period and 14.2 percent in the four week period ending October 1st. (Nielsen U.S. FDMx for the period ending October 1, 2011).