‘Say Yes To Simple’: Simply Showcases Its Growing Portfolio With Brand Refresh and New Campaign

Simply is inviting consumers to “Say Yes to Simple” in a new campaign showcasing the brand’s fast-growing lineup of juices, ades, alt milks, smoothies and other ready-to-drink beverages made with honestly simple ingredients.

Actor Eugene Cordero (Loki, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Easter Sunday) serves as the brand’s first on-screen spokesperson in a pair of humorous ads—“Ballet Truck” and “Homeower”—which celebrate the benefits of simplicity in today’s fast-paced, chaotic world by bringing dashes of charm and levity to everyday scenarios that can become overly complicated. Meryl Hathaway (The Good Place, This is Us, Grey’s Anatomy) and Neil Casey (Silicon Valley, Ghostbusters, Big Mouth) also will appear in select vignettes. 

The creative builds on the successful “God of the Grove” campaign narrated by Donald Sutherland’s majestic voice, which solidified Simply’s credentials as the No. 1 chilled juice brand in the United States and paved the way for a series of category-crossing innovations. “Say Yes to Simple” modernizes the brand via both a more youthful tone and stepped-up investment in digital marketing.

“As we look to bring in new generations of consumers, we’re adding a fresh new face to our communications—literally—and shifting from just talking about Simply products to elevating the Simply brand to a more emotional level,” explained Tiphanie Maronta, Group Director, Simply Brand, Coca‑Cola North America.

The 360-degree campaign promotes the full portfolio of Simply offerings and showcases specific innovations with targeted retail activations and social media content. “Say Yes to Simple” highlights include a brand-first shoppable QR code driving online shoppers to Whole Foods Market/Amazon Fresh to buy Simply beverages; a multicultural marketing partnership with Essence; and a streamlined Simply website and refreshed social media channels. 

“Creatively, we were challenged with continuing to evolve an iconic brand with a strong heritage and two decades of consistent growth,” said Alex Ames, Creative Director, Nutrition Category, Coca‑Cola North America. “It was an intimidating but inspiring challenge, considering the tremendous success and longevity of Simply’s advertising. Simply has done well by keeping it simple for two decades. But, with a heavy focus on TV and never showing humanity in our content, we saw an opportunity to modernize the brand. We pushed ourselves to be disruptive while staying true to our heritage and consumers, and to show that we’re more than just orange juice. We’re positioning Simply as a total beverage solution and inspiration for consumers to ‘Say Yes to Simple’ in their everyday lives by focusing on what matters most.” 

Cordero was the perfect choice for the campaign due to his strong awareness with younger consumers and reputation as a charismatic straight-shooter. 

“Eugene’s a huge up-and-coming talent, but his top focus remains on the simple things in his life, like being there for his wife and two young kids,” Ames added. “That, combined with his razor-sharp wit and infectious charm, made him the ideal partner for the brand.”

Simply, which recently turned 20 and is quickly approaching $2 billion in annual retail sales, has delivered uninterrupted, year-over-year growth on its journey to becoming a nutrition masterbrand with the launch of Simply Light juices and ades, Simply Smoothies, and Simply Almond and Simply Oat milks. 

The refresh capitalizes on the booming popularity of juice—which has seen a resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic as families return to a daily breakfast routine—and position ades, lights and other offerings as ideal complements to occasions like summer gatherings. 

“Our innovation track record over the last few years proves that Simply is much more than an OJ brand,” Maronta said. “We hope to drive awareness of our entire portfolio and set up the brand to continue to innovate in the years to come.”