Nobody wants a KellyBaked Ham. (The Honey Baked Ham Company)

HoneyBaked Ham Captures Holiday Season

An advertiser’s goal is to create ads that resonate with the audience in a positive way. According to responses from a Nielsen consumer survey, humor is the most effective way to accomplish this (47%), followed by real-life situations (46%). This month, just in time for the holidays, BBDO Atlanta released a television spot for HoneyBaked Ham, the brand’s first TV ad in 10 years.

Ham (pork) is one of the most traditional dishes for Christmas and New Year’s meals, believed to bring good luck. “KellyBaked Ham” features home cook Kelly, who attempts to make a holiday ham. She struggles every step of the way, while her Labrador Retriever takes advantage of her missteps. The narrator repeats “HoneyBaked Ham” and “KellyBaked Ham” repeatedly, while the audience sees the extreme visual contrast of the two.

What Makes this HoneyBaked Ham Ad Successful?

“KellyBaked Ham” resonates through humor. It zeroes in on the stress of holiday cooking, a real-life situation we can all relate to. And for us dog lovers, we immediately empathize with Kelly trying to cook with her eager dog in the kitchen.  The spot is funny, genuine and gives viewers an appreciation for store-bought holiday food. It also hits another important goal for advertisers: it’s memorable.

When my family sat down for our Christmas meal of pot roast and glazed ham, the “KellyBaked Ham” ad immediately came to mind. Like other successful TV ads, it became a topic of conversation around our dinner table. What more can an advertiser hope for?

 

https://youtu.be/sYOYxdtF88A