Clif Takes Energy Bar Fight Outdoors

Advertiser: Clif Bar

Agency: Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco

Challenge: Develop a distinct image for Clif Bar, an underdog in the fast-growing energy bar business.

The Ads: A $4-million print and radio campaign portrays Clif Bar as quirky, irreverent and individualistic. Text-heavy print ads illustrated with offbeat cartoons feature fanciful tales about the great outdoors, such as “Me Buck-Naked in the Woods at Night” or “The Bear With the 70 IQ.” The tales conclude with a loosely related pitch for Clif Bar. Radio ads present farcical tales of survival. “I heard a deep terrible growl,’ says one camper. “In my stomach.”

Comment: As the energy bar business expands beyond California, brands are trying to carve out a niche. Best-selling Powerbar has targeted athletes and fitness nuts. No. 2 Balance Bar touts its snack as a handy meal for women on the go. Clif Bar, which is running its print ads in Outdoor, Mountain Bike and Shape magazines, is going after outdoor enthusiasts. The print ads, written in flowing script, are eye-catching but difficult to read. The tongue-in-cheek radio spots are more effective in portraying Clif Bar as a fun snack. $$$