The Pearson Peach Countdown Campaign

Pearson Farm has no trouble selling their crop to wholesalers and distributors each year. After decades of selling predominantly through middlemen, the family decided to engage consumers directly and retained a new agency, FerebeeLane, to build their DTC business.

The category was experiencing substantial growth in premium branded produce; consumers were willing to pay more for quality. The agency’s strategy was to frame Pearson’s peaches as premium produce, available in limited quantities direct from the farm – the category’s leader, not another commodity.
 
In March 2023, a late spring frost devastated a significant portion of the crop. Staring down historically low projected yields, the Pearsons considered putting their DTC plan on hold, but FerebeeLane saw an opportunity. The agency leveraged the season’s scarcity to underscore a clear and compelling takeaway: there is only one Pearson Peach.
 
The integrated campaign spotlighted the challenges of growing the world’s finest peaches despite the uncertainties and challenges of the weather. The story unfolded on social media with disruptive imagery of a peach frozen in a block of ice. Targeted social media, direct mail, and email outreach drove pre-sales.

The campaign’s capstone was a dynamic digital outdoor billboard, illustrating the season’s limited supply that prompted direct sales to consumers, while also laying the foundation for lasting brand positioning that there is only one Pearson Peach.

The “peach countdown clock” was a 30-day visual log showing the diminishing supply. The video started by filling the billboard with falling peaches. Week by week, fewer and fewer peaches appeared – down to the very last, non-commoditized Pearson Peach. Peach lovers noticed, and so did news outlets; both amplified the campaign’s core message.

The result was increased engagement with consumers across all channels, and a significant increase in Pearson Farm’s direct-to-consumer sales for the season.