Lessons Learned from Nabisco’s Free The Animals PR Campaign

Nabisco opened the cages and the media began to play.
In a move that drew national media attention, Nabisco decided to change the packaging of Barnum’s Animal Cracker.

Several public relations lessons can be learned from Nabisco’s strategy.

Some background… The cookie company adjusted its graphics to remove the current look of caged animals on wheels. They will now use a new packaging with the animals seemingly in the wild and no bars to speak of.
Nabisco’s parent company, Mondelez International, said they were succumbing to pressure from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

According to press reports, PETA had been asking the company to change the packaging since 2016.

CBS News reported that PETA said in a letter to Mondelez: “Given the egregious cruelty inherent in circuses that use animals and the public’s growing opposition to the exploitation of animals used for entertainment, we urge Nabisco to update its packaging to feature animals.” that are free to roam in their natural habitats.

At the same time, PETA was pressuring Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey, the cookie’s namesake, to release its animals. The circus stopped using elephants as part of its show in 2016 and, due to slowing ticket sales, closed entirely in 2017.
Circus or not, the new cookie boxes have been redesigned to remove the implication that the animals are traveling in wagons for use in a show.

Whether a youngster, or even their parents, would actually connect the dots between caged animals, a traveling circus, and animal cruelty simply by looking at the package and consuming its contents is irrelevant on stage. In fact, it’s a piece of public relations that actually has two winners.

First, PETA can take a victory lap. The organization and its 6.5 million members can rejoice in having impacted the operations of another major international conglomerate and changed the face of an iconic brand.

However, the big winner is Nabisco and Mondelez. The company wins on many fronts.

First, he used his marketing bullets to get a lot of national and international media attention.

Two, he waited for the best-selling season like in the back-to-school period, he packs my lunch box to make his announcement. At the very least, the news coverage should give the brand a boost this summer and fall.

Three, it creates a perception that the company is “up to date,” in tune with millennials and others who oppose all things animal cruelty.

Smaller B2B companies that don’t have a 100+ year iconic brand to fall back on can still use many of Nabisco’s public relations techniques.

May…
•Publish any important news at a time of year that is most likely to get the most media coverage.

•Formulate your news in a time that will have a high impact with your consumers or your clients and prospects.

•Redesign or reshape product packaging, offerings, and website to show that it is in tune with today’s market.
•Create events with prominent social causes to demonstrate your modern relevance to buyers of your products.

Nabisco’s animal cracker campaign offers some good PR food for thought, and some that taste good.