If you watch the ad below and conclude there's nothing new under the sun, you're half right.
Sunny Delight rollerblades into '90s nostalgia with this delightfully deft parody of its own goofy, iconic (some might say moronic) commercial from the first Twin Peaks era.
Created by ad agency Grenadier, and targeting millennials with fond memories of SunnyD advertising from two decades ago, the new spot presents grown-up versions of the kids from the original. They're not portrayed by the same actors, but they are still blading through suburbia and crowding into Mrs. B.'s kitchen for some vitamin-enriched, orange-flavored refreshment. Of course, they've all gained a few pounds, and the guys have lost some hair.
"Look, I can't do this anymore," the now-elderly Mrs. B. laments. "You and your friends have been doing this for 20 years. You're 36. You need a job."
"As a brand, we try not to take ourselves too seriously and to act with self-awareness," says SunnyD marketing director Dave Zellen. Grenadier partner Rob Hofferman adds: "For people who grew up with that spot—who are now millennial parents or a little older—it's a great way to give them a fun touchstone to that time that they can now share and pass on to their kids."
With shimmering analog synths in the background, and splendid comic panache, the reboot is just as "radical" as the original—though I hope that "purple stuff" hasn't been fermenting in the fridge all this time. One sip could trigger some wild flashbacks.
The ad is airing on TV is Sacramento, Indianapolis and Charlotte, and online everywhere.
And here's the original spot, created by Gumpertz/Bentley/Fried in 1991:
CREDITS
Client: Sunny Delight
Spot: "SunnyD 2015 Rollerblade"
Agency: Grenadier
Creative Director/Art Director: Randy Rogers
Creative Directors/Writers: Wade Paschall, Mark St. Amant
Associate Creative Director/Art Director: Grant Minnis
Executive Producer: Keith Dezen
Production Company: Community Films
Director: Clay Williams
Executive Producer (Production Co): Lizzy Schwartz
Producer (Production Co): Helen Hollien
Line Producer: Helen Hollien
Director of Photography: Guyla Pados
Editorial Company: HutchCo Technologies
Editor: Jim Hutchins
Music Company: JSM Music
Visual Effects Company: Brickyard VFX
Visual Effects Editor: Patrick Poulatian
Visual Effects Producer: Linda Jackson
CG Lead: David Blumenfeld
Account Service Lead: Becky Herman
Account Service Supervisor: Ryan Smith
Planner: Elisa Cantero
