Welch’s Reintroduces Kid Star: ‘Break Out the Fancy Juice’ Campaign

Welch's revives kid-focused marketing after 20 years with Charlie Cheersman in 'Break Out the Fancy Juice.' Campaign leverages nostalgia, influencers, and retail media for Sparkling Juices, targeting millennial consumers.

The brand name has been teeing up the debut of Charlie with social videos recollecting regarding Welch’s last kid star (Emily Mae Young), who appeared in television areas in the ’90s espousing the sippable top quality and lip-smacking flavor of Welch’s grape juices (” Who remembers this woman from the Welch’s commercials?” reviews an Instagram article Welch’s shared earlier this month). Welch’s has actually because tried to widen its image beyond historical ties to Concord grapes, thus the rebrand in 2014. The Sparkling Juices lineup includes non-grape flavors like Interest Fruit Mango, Strawberry and Crisp Apple.

Child actor Paxton Sweetheart Bazile plays Charlie Cheersman, a bright new personality promoting Welch’s Sparkling Juices. The brand name has not secured its advertising around a kid in over two decades.
Consent granted by Welch’s.

Welch’s New Marketing Strategy

Welch’s, the maker of jams, jellies and juices, has actually shocked its marketing in the last few years, establishing a rebrand in 2024 and experimenting with even more millennial-friendly activations like a rosé truck and bodega speakeasy. With its newest holiday campaign, the farmer-owned brand name is looking back to its past, using a fond memories trend that has actually taken control of CPG advertising and marketing while adding some modern-day bells and whistles.

On the experience front, the brand name will certainly pop up at holiday markets in six cities for “Burst out the Fancy Juice,” consisting of Phoenix metro, Denver, Salt Lake City, Boston, New York City and Rose City, Oregon. Charlie will certainly lead social web content promoting those in-person activations, and might make a guest look at pick locations.

We have actually seen it in our inner brand equity studies,” claimed Katelyn Nugent, head of integrated advertising and marketing at Welch’s. Welch’s on Oct. 15 designated former Nature’s Means CMO Andrew Hartshorn to the recently created position of chief brand and technology police officer, which properly fills the former CMO port.

Charlie Cheersman Takes the Stage

“Damage Out the Fancy Juice” centers on a bright, bowtie-sporting representative named Charlie Cheersman (10-year-old Paxton Beloved Bazile) as he highlights events large and small for fracturing open a container of Welch’s Sparkling Juices, like nailing the family members Christmas image. Welch’s just recently revamped its gleaming portfolio, reinvesting in a production line at a Lawton, Michigan, center and reformulating its apple cider taste right into a Crisp Apple variant offering boosted taste.

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Hartshorn is focused on getting new ideas to market faster and supporting Welch’s brand name storytelling. While it’s still too early to tell what the full impact of these modifications will be, Nugent pointed out the capacity for higher technology in the ways Welch’s shows up for customers. The over 150-year-old brand currently has big passions for 2026, consisting of tying Sparkling Juices closer to the summer period with Charlie and celebrating America’s 250th wedding anniversary.

By stiring memories of Young online, Welch’s is developing a baton pass to Charlie, who’s a little bit older and was made to be totally integrated right into all aspects of the campaign, consisting of retail media and experiential advertising and marketing. Welch’s now typically invests 55% to 60% of its functioning media budget plans on retail media networks, Nugent estimated.

Welch’s festive project was created with an integrated agency team (IAT) made up of Terri & Sandy on innovative, Flywheel on paid media, Issue Communications on Public Relations and Superdigital on social, influencers and brand activations. Employing several firm companions follows Welch’s shift off of a single agency of record model after Fitzco handled its rebrand.

Welch’s Embraces Influencer Marketing

“Break Out the Fancy Juice” additionally reveals Welch’s continuing to experiment with influencers, which just began to factor into its advertising concerning 14 months back, according to Nugent. Legacy CPG brand names broadly have embraced more influencer- and social-first methods as they want to get in touch with young consumers that have cut the cord on direct television.

Various other CPGs have actually employed a similar playbook to produce psychological vibration. Life, the cereal marketed by Quake, in 2014 revitalized Mikey, a particular eater related to the iconic “Mikey likes it” tagline from the 1970s. Welch’s is taking a multiphased approach to reacclimating customers to innovative secured around a teenage.

“Nostalgia is most likely the No. 1 thing that individuals discuss. We’ve seen it in our inner brand equity studies,” stated Katelyn Nugent, head of incorporated marketing at Welch’s. “I believe we had actually gotten away from maybe using the vibration that [fond memories] drives for consumers.”.

For the first time in a quarter century, Welch’s innovative will certainly star a child character, though the media method prolongs well beyond the TV commercials of yore. “Burst out the Fancy Juice” fixate a bright, bowtie-sporting speaker called Charlie Cheersman (10-year-old Paxton Sweetheart Bazile) as he highlights occasions small and big for splitting open a container of Welch’s Sparkling Juices, like toenailing the family members Xmas image. Welch’s recently revamped its gleaming profile, reinvesting in a production line at a Lawton, Michigan, facility and reformulating its apple cider taste into a Crisp Apple alternative boasting improved taste.

“We’re still in our nascent stages of testing [influencer marketing], but we have actually seen huge response, and truthfully, that’s where a great deal of those remarks around nostalgia can be found in,” stated Nugent. “We’re testing and learning our way in, but it remains to be a bigger network that we’re looking at in regards to financial investment.”.

“We know a growing number of sales are coming with online networks than brick and mortar,” claimed Nugent. “Just how we remain to utilize that electronic storytelling with the factor of sale I believe would be important as we head into the next stage of our brand name.”.

New Leadership at Welch’s

Hartshorn is focused on getting brand-new ideas to market much faster and shoring up Welch’s brand narration.

The largest advertising initiative to day supporting Welch’s decade-old shimmering offerings, “Break Out the Fancy Juice” launches Tuesday across TV, electronic, social, retail media, tasting and in-person experiences, with plans to utilize Charlie Cheersman for future seasons, such as summer 2026. The go back to kid-focused marketing after over two decades comes in action to a current customer sentiment Welch’s formerly underleveraged, according to executives.

The developing method to advertising solutions complies with a larger overhaul in Welch’s top rankings. The brand in July named Cees Talma, previous president of Nature’s Method, as its CEO, being successful Trevor Bynum. CMO Scott Utke, who serviced “Burst out the Fancy Juice,” departed the CPG previously this month. Welch’s on Oct. 15 designated former Nature’s Method CMO Andrew Hartshorn to the recently produced placement of chief brand and development policeman, which successfully fills up the previous CMO slot.