Imposters Play Chicken Again, Marinated Style

Advertiser: Foster Farms

Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco

Challenge: Transform the lowbrow Foster Imposter spokes-puppets into pitchmen for the company’s two premium product lines.

The Ads: In five TV ads, the scraggly Muppet-like chickens hatch new schemes to become Foster Farms chickens. In an ad for the 99% fat-free line, the overweight chickens attempt liposuction using a vacuum cleaner. When a chicken accidentally throws the suction into reverse, it inflates like a balloon and drifts away. In a commercial for the line of marinated chicken, Imposters marinate themselves in a kiddie pool they’ve filled with catsup. The ax-wielding owners of the kiddie pool soon discover the Imposters and chase them away. “I thought you said people like marinated chicken,” one chicken quips to his partner.

Comment: While ads note the marinated chicken comes in six flavors, two commercials showing catsup-drenched chickens might give consumers the wrong idea. And some of the gags seem a little obvious. But give Foster Farms credit for keeping boring food shots to a minimum in the latest batch of commercials in its 5-year-old Imposters campaign. $$$