For 125 years, Frito-Lay’s Cracker Jack brand was iconic in baseball culture but struggled to resonate with modern, diverse audiences. To align with 2022’s cultural shift toward gender equity, Frito-Lay partnered with Ketchum PR to reimagine the Cracker Jill brand as a champion of women’s sports while honoring its heritage.
Cracker Jill, a 125-year-old snack brand synonymous with American baseball, sought to modernize its legacy by championing gender equity in sports. Partnering with Ketchum PR, it rebranded as Cracker Jill—a bold, inclusive symbol supporting women athletes—melding nostalgia with contemporary values to inspire cultural and social impact.
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CHALLENGE Cracker Jill Faced: Modernizing a Legacy Brand Without Losing Its Identity
1. Balancing Tradition and Innovation For Cracker Jill
Cracker Jack’s 125-year history tied to baseball built a loyal fanbase rooted in nostalgia.
However, modernizing the brand risked alienating customers who cherished its traditional identity.
For example, rewriting the iconic Take Me Out to the Ball Game anthem sparked concerns about backlash.
The team faced a critical question: how do you evolve a legacy brand without erasing its heritage?
They addressed this by preserving core elements like the anthem’s melody while updating lyrics to reflect inclusivity.
This approach honored the past while inviting new audiences. Transitioning carefully ensured longtime fans felt respected.
2. Connecting with Younger, Diverse Audiences For Cracker Jill
Gen Z and millennials prioritize inclusivity and social impact, values absent from Cracker Jack’s legacy messaging.
To bridge this gap, the brand reimagined its imagery and partnerships. For instance, they collaborated with artist Monica Ahanonu to design characters reflecting modern diversity in ethnicity and body types.
This shift raised a key question: how do you honor tradition while appealing to new demographics?
By integrating contemporary values into nostalgic branding, they balanced familiarity with relevance. The refreshed identity resonated without alienating existing customers.
3. Executing Without MLB Partnerships For Cracker Jill Brand
Cracker Jill lacking an official MLB sponsorship forced the team to rethink traditional marketing tactics. Instead, they focused on earned media and strategic cultural partnerships.
For example, they pivoted to women’s sports and timed the campaign to Opening Day 2022 to leverage media attention.
This raised a logistical challenge: how do you build visibility without established partnerships?
By aligning with trending topics like gender equity, they generated organic buzz. The strategy proved successful, securing coverage in ESPN and Today.
4. Proving Business and Social Impact For Cracker Jill
Stakeholders demanded measurable ROI alongside societal impact, requiring dual tracking of metrics.
The team tracked donations to the Women’s Sports Foundation alongside purchase intent data.
For example, 3,000+ donors received collectible packs, linking sales to advocacy.
This prompted a critical question: how do you quantify success when goals include profit and purpose?
By showcasing a 13% favorability lift and 3,000+ donations, they demonstrated balanced outcomes.
Transparent reporting satisfied stakeholders and validated the campaign’s dual focus.
5. Maintaining Momentum Post-Launch
Viral campaigns often lose steam quickly, risking the brand’s long-term relevance. To avoid becoming a “one-hit wonder,” the team prioritized sustained engagement.
For example, CrackerJill.com continued offering collectible packs post-launch to keep donors invested.
This led to a pivotal question: how do you turn a campaign into a lasting movement?
By maintaining interactive elements and ongoing partnerships, they extended the campaign’s lifecycle.
Regular updates and new content kept audiences engaged beyond the initial hype.
Key Takeaways
- Preserve core elements while updating messaging to balance tradition and innovation.
- Align with cultural trends to replace traditional partnerships and drive organic visibility.
- Track dual metrics to prove business and social impact simultaneously.
- Design for longevity with ongoing engagement tactics to sustain momentum.
Each challenge required actionable steps grounded in data and creativity.
By addressing these questions head-on, the campaign achieved record-breaking results without compromising the brand’s legacy.
Reimagining Cracker Jack as Cracker Jill Through Bold Creativity and Strategic Partnerships
1. Rebranding with Inclusive Storytelling
Cracker Jack partnered with artist Monica Ahanonu to design five new characters reflecting U.S. ethnic and body diversity.
These characters mirrored census data to ensure an authentic representation of modern America.
For example, the designs included varied skin tones, hairstyles, and body shapes to resonate with broader audiences.
Simultaneously, the team rewrote the iconic baseball anthem Take Me Out to the Ball Game with Grammy-nominated Normani, replacing “Cracker Jack” with “Cracker Jill”.
This shift raised a critical question: how do you honor tradition while making space for new voices?
By retaining the melody but updating lyrics to celebrate women’s sports, they balanced nostalgia with progress.
The refreshed anthem became a rallying cry for inclusivity without erasing the brand’s legacy.
2. Strategic Artist Collaborations
The campaign leveraged Normani’s cultural influence to connect with younger audiences who value representation.
Her rendition of the anthem generated 644,000 video views and 2,739 social engagements, amplifying her reach organically.
Monica Ahanonu’s artwork, shared across platforms, became viral content that sparked conversations about diversity.
This prompted a key question: how do you align brand goals with an artist’s audience?
By selecting creators whose values matched the campaign’s mission, Cracker Jill authentically tapped into existing communities.
Normani’s fanbase and Ahanonu’s followers became natural advocates, bridging the gap between brand and consumer.
3. Philanthropic Engagement
The team launched CrackerJill.com to drive donations to the Women’s Sports Foundation, linking purchases to social impact.
Over 3,000 donors received collectible packs, creating a tangible connection between advocacy and action.
For instance, each donation unlocked exclusive artwork, incentivizing participation.
This strategy posed a question: how do you turn customers into advocates for a cause?
By tying collectibles to donations, the campaign transformed passive buyers into active supporters.
The website also featured stories of female athletes, humanizing the cause and fostering emotional investment.
4. Earned Media Strategy
The campaign timed its launch to 2022’s Opening Day, capitalizing on heightened sports media attention.
By pitching Cracker Jill as a symbol of progress, the team secured coverage in outlets like ESPN and Today.
For example, they highlighted the brand’s shift from baseball-centric messaging to gender equity advocacy.
This approach answered a pivotal question: how do you create news without paid partnerships?
By aligning with trending cultural narratives, they earned 1,127 media stories and 9.2 billion impressions.
The lack of MLB sponsorships forced creativity, proving organic reach could rival traditional tactics.
5. Dual Metric Tracking
The team measured business outcomes (e.g., favorability, purchase intent) alongside social impact (e.g., donations).
A 13% rise in favorability and 3,000+ donations demonstrated balanced success.
For instance, tracking metrics in parallel showed stakeholders the campaign’s dual ROI.
This raised a question: how do you prove ROI when goals include profit and purpose?
By transparently reporting both sets of data, they validated the campaign’s holistic impact.
Sales lifts and advocacy metrics together reinforced the brand’s evolution as purposeful and profitable.
6. Sustaining Momentum Post-Launch
Post-launch, the team used collectible packs and ongoing donations to maintain engagement.
For example, CrackerJill.com stayed active, offering new content and partnership updates.
This addressed a critical challenge: how do you avoid becoming a “one-time trend”?
By continuously refreshing the platform with athlete stories and limited-edition packs, they kept audiences invested.
Regular social media updates and collaborations with sports influencers extended the campaign’s lifecycle beyond its peak.
Key Execution Takeaways
- Align with cultural moments to maximize earned media opportunities.
- Leverage creator audiences to amplify reach authentically.
- Incentivize participation through tangible rewards linked to social impact.
- Track dual metrics to prove multifaceted success.
- Design for longevity with ongoing content and partnerships.
The solution blended creativity, data, and purpose to modernize Cracker Jack. Each step prioritized actionable tactics, measurable outcomes, and audience connection.
By addressing challenges head-on, the campaign achieved record-breaking visibility and sustained relevance without compromising the brand’s heritage.
Record-breaking impact on Brand Relevance, Social Advocacy, and Business Growth
1. Unprecedented Media Visibility
The campaign generated 9.2 billion earned impressions through organic coverage across digital, print, and broadcast platforms.
By focusing on cultural relevance and timing, the team secured 1,127 media stories in outlets like ESPN, AdAge, and Today.
For example, the campaign dominated 48% of media conversations compared to competitors during its active period.
This approach answered a critical question: how do you measure true reach without paid ads?
They tracked impressions, shares, and engagement rates to validate organic impact.
Transitioning from traditional sponsorships to earned media required aligning with trending narratives like gender equity in sports.
By pitching Cracker Jill as a symbol of progress, the team turned the brand into a media magnet.
2. Revitalized Brand Perception
Cracker Jack achieved a 13% increase in consumer favorability by shifting from nostalgia-driven messaging to inclusive storytelling.
The rebrand resonated with Gen Z and millennials, driving a 12% rise in purchase intent among these groups.
For instance, the introduction of Cracker Jill as a gender-inclusive icon bridged generational gaps.
This raised a key question: how do you prove a rebrand connects with old and new customers?
Pre- and post-campaign surveys showed longtime fans appreciated the homage to tradition, while new audiences embraced modern values.
Collectible packs featuring diverse characters further reinforced the balance between heritage and progress.
3. Social Impact and Advocacy
The campaign garnered 3,000+ donations to the Women’s Sports Foundation via CrackerJill.com, linking purchases to social impact.
Donors received limited-edition collectible packs, creating a tangible link between advocacy and action.
For example, each pack included artwork celebrating female athletes, fostering emotional connections.
This strategy addressed a pivotal question: how do you turn a product into a platform for advocacy?
By incentivizing donations with exclusive rewards, the campaign transformed customers into active supporters.
The website also showcased stories of athletes, humanizing the cause and deepening engagement.
Over 80% of donors shared their packs on social media, amplifying reach organically.
4. Cultural Engagement Through Art and Music
Normani’s reimagined anthem gained 644,000 video views and 2,739 social engagements, becoming a rallying cry for inclusivity.
Simultaneously, Monica Ahanonu’s artwork went viral, sparking debates about representation in media.
For example, her designs were shared across TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, reaching audiences beyond sports fans.
This prompted a question: how do you quantify the value of art in a business campaign?
The team tracked shares, mentions, and sentiment analysis to measure cultural impact.
Normani’s anthem also aired during ESPN segments, blending entertainment with advocacy.
The campaign’s fusion of art and purpose created a cultural moment that transcended traditional marketing.
5. Dual Success in Business and Purpose
The team balanced profit and purpose by tracking donations alongside sales metrics.
A 12% lift in purchase intent and 3,000+ donors proved the campaign’s dual ROI.
For instance, they correlated spikes in website traffic with social media mentions and sales data.
This answered a critical question: how do you align stakeholder goals when outcomes include revenue and impact?
Transparent reporting showcased how inclusivity-driven marketing drove both business growth and social good.
Post-campaign analysis revealed that 70% of new customers cited the brand’s advocacy as a purchase motivator.
Key Takeaways: Frito-Lay
- Leverage cultural moments to maximize organic media coverage without paid partnerships.
- Align brand values with audience priorities to drive favorability and purchases.
- Incentivize advocacy through rewards that link consumer actions to social impact.
- Measure holistically to prove how creativity drives both profit and purpose.
These results demonstrate how creativity, data, and purpose coexist to redefine marketing success.
By addressing strategic questions with actionable solutions, the campaign achieved record-breaking visibility, renewed relevance, and measurable social impact.
Each metric validated the power of aligning brand evolution with cultural shifts, proving that authentic storytelling can transcend traditional advertising limits.
Conclusion: Cracker Jill
Ketchum’s repositioning of Cracker Jack as Cracker Jill transformed a 125-year-old brand into a cultural catalyst for women’s sports. By blending creativity, strategic partnerships, and purpose-driven storytelling, the campaign achieved record-breaking visibility and renewed consumer relevance.
- Creativity drove change: Redesigning characters with artist Monica Ahanonu and rewriting the anthem with Normani bridged nostalgia with modernity.
- Partnerships amplified impact: Collaborations with influencers and media outlets like ESPN secured 9.2 billion impressions without paid ads.
- Purpose-fueled engagement: Linking purchases to donations via CrackerJill.com generated 3,000+ supporters for gender equity.
The campaign lifted consumer favorability by 13% and purchase intent by 12%, proving heritage brands can evolve. Frito-Lay demonstrated a commitment to inclusivity while achieving business growth and social impact.
- Example: Collectible packs tied to donations turned buyers into advocates, merging profit with purpose.
- Question: How do you balance tradition and progress without alienating loyal customers?
Cracker Jill answered this by honoring baseball roots while championing women’s sports. The result? A cultural movement that resonated across generations.
- Data validated success: Tracking donations alongside sales metrics proved dual ROI.
- Art became action: Viral artwork and anthems sparked conversations beyond traditional marketing.
This strategy shows heritage brands thrive by aligning with modern values. Creativity, data, and purpose together redefine marketing success.
