McKinney | Creative Brief | Strategy & Creative
TL;DR
The Ask:
Get Almond Breeze on the cultural map through a partnership with the Jonas Brothers.
Audience:
Nostalgia-driven young Millennial women.
Millennials love the Jonas Brothers because they take them back to a simpler time.
Think Disney Channel, first concerts, and carefree middle-school years.
But today these young women have grown up, enjoying Jonas Brothers with an adult POV.
Strategic Approach:
Almond Breeze is for people growing up on their own terms.
The Opportunity:
The holidays truly come alive when you make it your own.
​
We saw that when people shop at Ross they are finding unique holiday gifts and deals they couldn't find anywhere else.
The Challenge:
Almond Breeze is still the number one plant-based milk, but health-conscious millennials are turning to oat or back to dairy. Almond Breeze needs to drive cultural moment to reclaim its role as the go-to for Millennials.
Goal:
Drive awareness and trial through high-engagement passion point by creating momentum for Almond Breeze
with a New Year’s campaign starring the Jonas Brothers.
The Insight:
The best comebacks don’t just repeat the past. They remake it.
Situation:
The Jonas Brothers has also been a go-to for young millennial women for decades, and they’ve recently been gaining momentum with their 20 year tour. By partnering with JB, Almond Breeze can drive cultural momentum with our core audience.
Background:
Create a 90-second hero video: a music video or a mini-doc that will live on YouTube and owned channels across Blue Diamond / Almond Breeze
Custom song.
My Role:
-
Researched Jonas Brothers influence, audience, and music landscape
-
Helped to craft the strategic approach and opportunity for the campaign
-
Briefed in the creative team
Who we're talking to
Their fans today...nostalgia-driven young millennial women
​
Over 82%
Social followers are women
And over 87%
Are between the ages of 18-34
​
And overlap with our Almond Breeze audience of young millennial families.
What makes the Jonas Brothers special
Who are they? ​
A mid-aughts boy band, making waves with their current album + tour.
Band Members:
-
Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas
Music Type:
-
Pop, rock, and heartfelt ballads
Fanbase:
-
Young millennials
-
Disney Channel kids
-
Gen Z
Why now though...
2025: The 20-year reunion​
A new album, a sold-out tour, Disney movies
and more fan momentum than ever.
Their ongoing appeal isn’t just for their music,
but for their sibling banter and antics
The Jonas Brothers remind millennials of simpler times
Their fans have grown up, and evolved, with them
Both the band and the fans have gone through tough times, and have turned to each other to carry them through.
The brothers, and their fans, are all grown up, and living the life they aspired to.
And what better time than new year’s to reflect and celebrate how far you’ve come?
Insight
The best comebacks don’t just repeat the past. They remake it.
Strategy
Almond Breeze is for people growing up on their own terms.
Creative Work / PR
The Pitch: Long Version
The Pitch: Social Teaser
The brothers recently teamed up for a partnership with Almond Breeze, which takes a playful jab at AI in advertising, and infused it with their signature humor that we're always a sucker for.
​
"Doing this collaboration with them was amazing, and telling of the kind of year that it's been for us, where we had a lot of really unique opportunities to partner with brands that we've always loved. Almond Breeze has been on our rider forever, and to get to come up with a really fun concept for the visuals and the campaign with them was a dream come true. And I think totally fits our life and scenario," Nick told E!.
​
"We're all big coffee drinkers, and Joe's kind of the coffee king. I'm less picky about my coffee, I'd say. I feel like it's there to get me caffeinated and get out the door. I love adding a little bit of Almond Breeze to my coffee in the morning, just to give some really good flavor," he said.
​
Kevin agrees with his brothers that coffee is a morning must-have, including Almond Breeze. "We're happy to be a part of this partnership with them. And I'm really happy with the content we've made with them. I think it's very fun and very true to who we are."
Almond Breeze’s partnership with the Jonas Brothers takes a jab at generative AI slop to shore up the almond milk brand’s positioning around authenticity and real consumer connection. The campaign follows backlash to some AI-generated ads, as well as other marketing efforts that have used AI tools to poke fun at the technology’s shortcomings.
​
​Agency McKinney is behind the effort while Anthony Mandler led creative direction for the commercials. In the release, Almond Breeze stated the Jonas Brothers were involved in each step of the creative development. The launch of the campaign arrives as the band recently concluded a 20th anniversary-themed tour.
The film was made in collaboration with agency McKinney, with the AI sequences executed by Cylndr Studios. It’s yet another example of brands parodying generative AI in ads rather than using it earnestly. This self-aware approach is wise at this juncture, Maya Erwin, VP of marketing and innovation at Blue Diamond Growers, told Ad Age.
​
“We’re seeing a wave of low-quality AI-generated content in advertising, so this felt like the perfect time to show how AI can be used more responsibly and creatively,” Erwin said. “We wanted to lean into the conversation in a cheeky, relatable way that actually deepens engagement—what better way to kick off the year?” The Jonas Brothers were the perfect celeb choice for the self-aware humor, Erwin added.
​
The broader rollout includes cutdowns of the film for streaming video and social platforms and an influencer component inviting creators to make their own AI-driven riffs using the band as inspiration.
​
“Almond Breeze is a confident, grounded brand, and ‘It’s really good’ is the ultimate straightforward truth,” said Omid Amidi, co-chief creative officer at McKinney. “By using AI to parody over-the-top marketing tropes, we highlight that when your product is actually great, you don’t need the gimmicks—a vision only possible because Almond Breeze was brave enough to lean into the joke.”
Strategy Team:
Account Team:
Creative and Production Team:
Executive Director of Strategy
Cat Marsh: Strategist
Group Client Director​​
David Mattera: Freelance Creative Director/ACD
Erynn Mattera: Freelance Creative Director
Account Director​​
Omid Amidi: Co Chief Creative Officer