In an unusual move motivated by sweet justice, Jim Beam Honey has hired famed Seinfeld attorney Jackie Chiles to, “Sue the Bears” and “Save the Bees.” In a campaign that seemingly takes a page from a Seinfeld episode, the bears, bees, and several hilarious videos follow suit.
Featuring a video that humorously puts, “the class into class action lawsuits,” Chiles is seen being “hired” by Jim Beam to help advocate against the mischievous bears that steal all of the honey. Chiles immediately understands Jim Beam’s stance – that honey should be for people, not bears, to enjoy.
The video then cleverly transitions into how Jackie Chiles will handle the bears, so viewers can help to save the bees. For every tweet that contains #suethebears, Jim Beam will donate $100 to the Pollinator Partnership, up to $25,000, to help fund nonprofit research for the “Colony Collapse Disorder,” which is threatening bees and the agriculture that depends on them.
Jackie Chiles can be seen campaigning on Jim Beam Honey’s behalf across Facebook, Twitter, BuzzFeed and YouTube, where the video has 14,000+ views. In a unique twist, Jim Beam Honey also pursued a content sponsorship with BuzzFeed to further communicate different elements of the campaign. From, “11 Things You Should Know Right Now About Honey Bees,” to “12 reasons Why Bears Are the Absolute Worst,” and “10 Reasons Why Honey Is the Greatest Ingredient Ever,” the articles are a good mix of informative and entertaining.
If this campaign seems a little wacky, that’s because it is. However, it’s the irreverence and nostalgia of bringing back a classic character that has helped the campaign to cut through the clutter and garner attention. The videos are very well-done, from the script, to the editing. The pauses with text within the videos help to clearly communicate the many layers of this campaign. It’s the type of video that prompts shares, especially from Seinfeld fans who loved the character of Jackie Chiles.
Although the donation to the Pollinator Partnership is portrayed as a secondary goal, it is a noteworthy and important one. The campaign is positioned as humorous in nature, but Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is known to be a serious problem. It’s been reported by the Department of Agriculture that nearly one in three commercial honeybee colonies in the United States either died or disappeared last winter. This decline impacts the production of pollination needed to grow fruits, nuts, and berries.
So, despite the seemingly wacky campaign, your tweet is actually contributing to research that could help make a difference. It’s also nice to see Jackie Chiles return as litigious as ever with an impressive vocabulary to match! #suethebears
