The challenge
For nearly 60 years, Tree Top products had been consistently stocked on grocery shelves, recognizable and familiar to parents and children. The brand maintained relatively steady awareness for many years without major marketing initiatives.
However, as more and more brands entered its marketplace, it was time for Tree Top to invest in an awareness campaign. As a co-op of grower-owners, Tree Top knew it was not like the other apple-product producers. It needed to set itself apart in consumers’ minds, too.
To help, DH teamed up with French | West | Vaughan, a partner agency in the IPREX network, which connects clients and agencies around the globe.
The strategy
Keeping in mind what we knew about what its customers — often parents with young children — valued, we also noted:
- Tree Top is physically close to the orchards where farmers grow the fruit in its products, so it’s a short trip from farm to bottle (or to jar or to pouch). Tree Top products are made entirely from apples grown near Tree Top headquarters and plants.
- As a co-op, Tree Top is owned by the growers who raise and harvest the fruit in its products. They are invested in quality throughout the growing, harvesting, production and distribution process.
- Tree Top juice is uncomplicated. Its juice is made of apples, water and vitamin C. It’s pure-pressed products contain apples and nothing more.
- In other words: Tree Top makes simple, wholesome products. And its growers raise and care for their apples with care and dedication.
What we did
The campaign, “Together, We Grow Better,” draws direct links between the daily lives of growers and parents, communicating Tree Top’s good-natured intentions and aligning them, often virtually shot-for-shot, with those of parents. The “grower shots” also serve to demonstrate the qualities that distinguish Tree Top from its competitors. We filmed harvest as it happened, highlighting the growers and the care they gave to the fruit. The voiceover in comes from a grower’s point of view, lending authenticity and authority — and mirroring Tree Top’s reserved, quiet-but-confident position in the industry.
It all adds up to a campaign that shows parents: Tree Top invests the same love and care into its products that mothers and fathers invest in their families.
“We grow better”
Campaign assets included social media posts and radio spot. We created imagery that emphasized care and connection.
Results
The campaign achieved more than 11 million paid media impressions across platforms including Hulu and Facebook, along with video pre-roll (before online videos) and as OTT (on streaming programming).