BBQ brand Jealous Devil launches chaotic animated series about charcoal in time for Memorial Day

Grilling season is almost here, and BBQ brands are vying for attention for their charcoal, lighter fluid and grill products. Among them is the smaller charcoal brand Jealous Devil, whose most recent campaign, launched ahead of Memorial Day, seems like an ad version of a “Happy Tree Friends” episode. Animated by production company Flesh & Bones and a team of freelance creatives, “Slapula” stars a comic-book-style heroine, “Max,” who is inspired by the “Warriors of the Flame” characters on the brand packaging. She teaches a griller a lesson about cheap charcoal through a bit of a violent method (think G.I. Joe “The More You Know”). In the spot, she arrives on the scene just as the griller is about to use a competitor’s charcoal brand and lighter fluid. She arrives just in time to, literally, slap some sense into him, while her trusty sidekick wreaks havoc and starts a fire. The campaign, developed with a “lean budget,” according to fractional CMO Zach Foster, takes aim at “Big BBQ,” namely Kingsford (which is owned by Clorox). Other episodes of the mini-series will follow in the summer and run on paid video across YouTube and social media along with targeted OOH placements near Home Depot and Walmart locations. Popular Creativity stories from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

BBQ brand Jealous Devil launches chaotic animated series about charcoal in time for Memorial Day

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