With Fab Unfrosted Tie-In, Jerry Seinfeld Kills It for Pop-Tarts
Pop-Tarts President: Tell me, how does it feel when people steal your ideas and then do whatever they want with them?
Jerry Seinfeld: You mean like Friends?
That's one of several boffo bits in Jerry's two-minute Pop-Tarts promo. The digital short ties in with his Netflix film Unfrosted, a fictionalized account of the toaster pastries' rise.
The spot's premise: P-T execs (portrayed by actors, natch) grill the funnyman about referencing trademarked breakfast products in the flick without permission.
And they vow revenge.
Pop-Tarts President: You see, Mr. Seinfeld, you took something of ours. Now, we're going to take something of yours.
That's when the brand's Tarty mascot reveals three characters from Jerry's classic sitcom—Jackie Chiles, Schmoopie and the Soup Nazi—trapped inside a transparent cube. They're now the "property" of Pop-Tarts.
Next, the C-Suiters copy a more recent Seinfeld project, rolling out the woefully unfunny rip-off about chowing down in Pontiacs.
Finally, they replace him at a stand-up gig, with cringeworthy results.
Pop-Tarts President, on stage at a comedy club: Why does Frankenstein wear a sports jacket? It's not a wine tasting. We're terrorizing villagers.
This is a superior celebrity spot, with loads of in-jokes and memorable visuals. Tarty rocks, and Geoff Pierson does his best Bond Villain impression as the corporate president.
The creative approach makes Pop-Tarts look hip, culturally savvy and riotously self-aware. It does nostalgia and pop culture right.
Jerry wrote the script, sharing development credits with Le Truc and Netflix Marketing Partnerships.
"Unfrosted is the ultimate flattery, and the biggest fan-fiction ever," says Heidi Ray, Pop-Tarts senior director of brand marketing, in press materials.
"At every level of fandom, Pop-Tarts continues to spark creativity—from the user-generated Edible Mascot memes at the Pop-Tarts Bowl to a homemade recipe from arguably the world's biggest pop star, and now to Jerry Seinfeld's Unfrosted film. We've been at the heart of culture for 60 years, and look forward to inspiring it for many, many more."
Also, fans can win limited-edition Trat-Pops, based on a "typo" that plays into the movie's plot:
In the spot, Phil Morris, Alexandra Wentworth and Larry Thomas reprise their roles of Jackie, Schmoopie and Soupie.
CREDITS
KELLANOVA
VP Marketing, PWS, Sarah Reinecke
Senior Director, Brand Marketing, Heidi Ray
Director, Full Funnel Marketing, Danielle Rappoport
NETFLIX / UNFROSTED TEAM
Netflix Marketing Partnerships
Jerry Seinfeld, Filmmaker
Spike Feresten, Filmmaker
Beau Bauman, Filmmaker
LE TRUC, PUBLICIS GROUPE
Partner & CCO, Julia Neumann, Le Truc
EVP, Executive Creative Director, Nick Kaplan, Le Truc
EVP, Head of Production, Ryan Chong, Le Truc
Producer, Taylor Nisbet, PXP
EVP, Managing Director, Megan Bundy, Le Truc
SVP, Account Director, Jonathan Linton, Leo Burnett
Account Supervisor, Abigail O’Connor, Leo Burnett
VP, Strategy Director, Jessie Chen, Le Truc
SVP, Strategy Director, Jared Grant, Le Truc
Director, Program Management, Cassandre Dupiton, Le Truc
Manager, Project Management, Teresa Diaz, GroupeConnect
Managing Director, Business Affairs, Tasha Royzina, PXP
SVP, Group Director, Business Affairs, Michael Shanahan, PXP
Senior Business Affairs Manager, Courtney Novotny, PXP
Senior Business Affairs Manager, Dana Willis, PXP
VP Director, Innovation & Partnerships, Peggy Walter, PXP
FURLINED
Directors, Will Speck and Josh Gordon of Speck & Gordon
President, Diane McArter
Senior EP, David Thorne
EP & DoP, Jay Wakefield
Post Producer & Media Manager, Patrick Lopez
Line Producer: Cindy Becker
Editorial - Arcade
Executive Producer, Wendy Umanzor
Editor, Evan Henke
Assistant Editor, Eirinn Disbrow
VFX - Harbor
Managing Director, Dan Bennett
Producer, Sarah Banks
MUSIC - Mophonics
Original music by Mophonics
Composer: Roberto Murguia
End credits: Shea Duncan
Creative Producer / Partner: Kristoffer Roggemann
Executive Creative Director / Partner: Stephan Altman
Head of Production / Partner: Shelley Altman
MCA
Production Consultant, Dan Deitchman
Production Consultant, Chrissy Riskam
PR - Weber Shandwick
