There are brand collaborations that make headlines, and there are brand collaborations that make sense. In the case of Milk-Bone and Jif’s latest venture, both circumstances apply. The two J.M. Smucker-owned companies recently teamed up to create new Peanut Buttery Bites dog treats, then leaned into collab and drop culture to promote the product with a furball-friendly, museum-themed launch event hosted March 28-29 in New York’s Union Square.
As Milk-Bone puts it, the new treats were born out of the “universal truth that dogs love peanut butter,” so teaming up with Jif made perfect sense. And while the goal of the pop-up was to tout the Peanut Buttery Bites, the brands wanted to satirize society’s preoccupation with collabs and product drops that are often nonsensical. So the duo also developed a lineup of intentionally absurd co-branded products that were on display inside the art museum-inspired space.
“The world has gone mad for collab culture, drop culture, and frankly, it’s reaching a tipping point of absurdity,” says Jasen Cusick, director-marketing, dog treats portfolio, at The J.M. Smucker Co. “So as we thought about this partnership with Milk-Bone and Jif, it was like, wait a minute, this is the collab that makes sense of all collabs… So we decided to use that angle as a springboard for launching this innovation, to have fun and lean into it.”
The pop-up event was a decidedly canine-first experience that offered pups plenty of interactive touchpoints. Like a “thirst trap” in the form of a camera-equipped water bowl that broadcast dogs on a large screen as they excitedly lapped up water. Pups and their parents could also belly up to the Barking Bar to sample the Peanut Buttery Bites or, in the case of humans, Jif peanut butter and pretzels. And how’s this for relatable—Cusick says there were so many patrons that didn’t want to leave, that some dogs had to be “kicked out” of the bar.
“The live event really allowed us to put [the product] in front of the consumer and let them smell it, let them feel it; in the case of the dog, let them taste it,” says Cusick. “So that pure enjoyment, whether it’s the perceived palatability by the pet parent or it’s the actual, what we refer to as, technical palatability—how the dog responds to it—it’s giving a consumer an opportunity to experience that live, and seeing it firsthand is the best way to get people to believe in how amazing the product is.”
Other highlights included the opportunity to get physical with Milk-Bone and Jif’s “Butt Bit,” a fitness band that attaches to a dog’s tail and tracks how much it wags. Dogs were invited to jump up and hit a button on the wall to activate the experience. There was also a “human dog bed” inside a mock bedroom vignette that was built for photo ops; an illuminated infinity room; a display of Milk-Bone and Jif co-branded “designer” poop bags and high-top sneakers; and a wall of “Selfie Sticks” that were… actual sticks.
Cusick explains that when all was said and done, the key to the success of the brand collab and the co-owned pop-up was authenticity and balance.
“Any brand experience or collaboration, at the end of the day, should be positive, should be authentic—authentic to the two brands and why they’re coming together,” he says. “So for us, the brands just made sense. I think the balance in showing up in a live environment at this event was, how do you make sure you’re representing both brands well, and giving that energy and credit to both brands? So the event space was designed such that both brands could live together.” Agencies: M ss ng P eces; BBH; PSOne.
Photo credit: Charles Sykes/AP Content Services for Milk-Bone
