Totino’s, a brand best known for its pizza rolls, has taken a bold and unconventional approach to advertising with its latest campaign. The brand, in collaboration with agency partner Dentsu Creative, has embraced a theme of „unhinged“ humor, creating a series of ads that are steeped in ’90s nostalgia and filled with sight gags that are sure to grab the attention of its target Gen Z audience.
The campaign introduces Totino’s first offering in the breakfast category, featuring quirky characters like a food-centric momstache, a freakish sun puppet, and a disembodied zombie arm in a freezer. One of the standout characters is Toti, a humanoid figure made entirely of Totino’s puffed-and-stuffed products. The ads are purposely low-fi and overly cheerful, with original jingles created by music producer Butter, harkening back to classic TV commercials to appeal to the nostalgia of the target audience.
Alyssa Ollis, group creative director at Dentsu Creative, explains that the team wanted to focus on „wholesome mornings“ with a comically surreal twist. The goal was to inject „moments of weirdness“ into the familiar breakfast space, creating a unique and memorable campaign that would set Totino’s apart from its competitors.
The campaign, titled „Start Your Day the Totino’s Way,“ aims to address the issue of teens skipping breakfast, with studies from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention revealing that 75% of teens regularly skip the most important meal of the day. The ads emphasize the quick and easy nature of Totino’s Breakfast Snack Bites, encouraging young consumers to change their behavior and start their day off right.
Director Emma Debany of WW7 was brought in to bring the visually unhinged concept to life, creating a unique and eye-catching campaign that is sure to surprise and delight viewers. The upbeat tagline „Start Your Day the Totino’s Way“ encapsulates the brand’s fun and quirky approach to breakfast, setting it apart from more traditional offerings in the market.
The campaign taps into the power of nostalgia, with Ollis noting that there are endless moments and experiences to draw from. The retro vibe of the ads feels fresh and exciting, resonating with consumers who are looking for something new and different in the crowded advertising landscape.
Overall, Totino’s bold and unconventional approach to advertising with its „Start Your Day“ campaign is a refreshing change of pace in the industry. By embracing humor, nostalgia, and a visually unhinged aesthetic, the brand has created a campaign that is sure to resonate with its target audience and set it apart from the competition.