As it turns out, cheesy, fish-shaped crackers aren't just for kids—and neither is TikTok. So says Goldfish, which is using the youth-focused app to increase its outreach to adults.
"Nearly 50% of Goldfish consumption happens with adults, and they’re enjoying them by the handful,” says Janda Lukin, chief marketing officer for Campbell Snacks, a $4 billion unit of Campbell Soup Co. “We really hadn’t talked to adult consumers.”
On the latest edition of the "Marketer's Brief" podcast, Lukin describes how the brand turned to TikTok to win over teens and older snackers who are spending time on the app, with a campaign that featured National Basketball Association stars. She also elaborates how the brand is courting fans looking for spicier snacks with a limited-edition Frank’s RedHot variety, and plans for more flavors and innovation to follow.
For it the TikTok campaign, the brand looked for someone who could hold a massive amount of Goldfish. It teamed with Boban Marjanović, a center on the Dallas Mavericks, who can fit 301 of the crackers in a single palm. “When we talked about reaching an older audience and this challenge idea, TikTok was the perfect platform for this challenge and this activation,” Lukin says.
Goldfish’s #GoForTheHandful challenge centered on Marjanović and garnered more than 9 billion views on TikTok in a matter of weeks. Marjanović’s video has more than 31 million views, and people were able to use the app’s duet feature to show themselves next to Marjanović attempting the challenge.
Goldfish didn’t rely solely on TikTok. he brand plugged the challenge across media including TV and digital ads. Marjanović’s friend and Philadelphia 76ers player Tobias Harris is also featured in the campaign.