One year ago, Kerri Walsh Jennings was training for her sixth Olympics and fourth gold medal in beach volleyball when the games were postponed due to the pandemic. Like the rest of us, Walsh Jennings had to put her plans on pause, and she saw this pause as an opportunity to spend time with her family while continuing her training to maintain peak performance.
Unfortunately, after multiple battles on the beach this spring, Walsh Jennings and her partner Brooke Sweat did not qualify for the Olympic team.
The Almond Board of California (ABC) is proud to continue working with Walsh Jennings – the winningest player in beach volleyball history – as a spokesperson to build awareness of the value of snacking on almonds. Now, with all eyes on the Tokyo Olympics, ABC’s Global Market Development team is putting their promotional plans into action – from May through August, where Walsh Jennings is featured in California almonds advertising and public relations across broadcast television, social media and more.
Walsh Jennings will be featured in California Almonds advertising and public relations throughout the Olympics.
As part of this campaign, a series of social videos are running from May through August that depict two aspects of Walsh Jennings’ life: training on the beach near her California home and the role her family plays in supporting her journey to be her best self. In the videos, almonds are shown playing a key role in all that she does and helping her achieve “Almond Mode” – being physically, mentally and emotionally ready to compete.
In addition to these videos, the Almond Board created a 15-second television commercial starring Walsh Jennings that depicts yet another way almonds help her “own her everyday, every day” (the theme of ABC’s current North America marketing program). In the “Kerri’s Kick-Casserole” commercial, the mother of three is at a school potluck snacking on almonds when a misstep occurs, and she dives in – literally – to help. This commercial will air throughout the 2021 Olympic Games on NBC, NBCSN, USA and CNBC, as well as during The Today Show commercial breaks.
Because the Olympics drive increased viewership and conversation among U.S. consumers, advertising during this event provides a strong opportunity to reach ABC’s target consumer audience and increase awareness of California almonds. The Almond Board’s integrated 2021 Olympics marketing campaign will drive more than 400 million advertising impressions to U.S. consumers. With California almonds shown as the perfect snack to fuel Olympians, these advertisements aim to get consumers thinking, “If almonds can fuel an Olympian, imagine what they could do for me in my everyday life.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for this commercial while watching your favorite summer games!
