Ludacris Finds a New Flow, Thanks to Jif Peanut Butter

Ludacris’ latest rhymes stick to the roof of his mouth in a cute campaign from J.M. Smucker’s Jif Peanut Butter, Publicis and Emmy-winning director Dave Meyers.

While ostensibly laying down his new track “Buttler.ATL,” Ludacris savors a spoonful of product. It’s Creamy Jif, so the vibe’s Luda-smooth, even if some of the words come out a little chunky:

That Olympic-sized pool filled with peanut butter slaps! Luda’s fast-grow ‘fro not so much, though guest star Gunna clearly approves.

“Butter.ATL” dropped on Friday and references the digital channel of the same name, which follows music and culture in Ludacris’ hometown of Atlanta. Performing the full track with an unfettered palate in this audio clip, Ludacris fetes Jif with a PG-rated callout around the :30 mark:

The “Lil Jif Project” follows last year’s “Jif and Gif” initiative, which went viral. The new work seeks to generate buzz by fusing Ludacris’ classic dirty-South style with fresh flows championed by Gunna’s generation. (The latter appears in the ad but doesn’t rap on the track.)

“Ludacris was our first choice from the beginning,” Publicis New York creative lead Erica Roberts tells Muse. “His flow has such a stark contrast to the latest wave of rappers. We knew if he was to release a track switching it up to this kind of [loose, modern] flow, it would make some serious noise.”

Plus, the artist really is a Jif fan, contractually requiring the stuff as a backstage snack. (He also demands condoms at his shows. Insert your own joke about “gift spreading.”)

During the development phase, Ludacris “brought ideas to the agency and was involved in all aspects of the campaign,” says Roberts. He held a similar creative stake in this Harry’s excursion a few years ago.

Roberts describes the Jif shoot as “a window into Ludacris’ world. He brought his daughter, close friends and collaborators into the commercial. We shot in and around Atlanta at some of his usual haunts,” such as Patchwork Recording Studios. Ludacris felt supremely confident working with Meyers, who directed videos for some of the artist’s biggest hits, including “Stand Up,” “How Low” and “Splash Waterfalls.”

The campaign represents a target shift for Jif, which usually focuses on parents of young children. “But today’s growth is coming from younger [teen and adult] consumers, who, we discovered, are as obsessed with hip-hop as they are with peanut butter,” Roberts says. “Our social analysis found that young peanut butter lovers had been actively engaged in conversations about the new flows.”

Other elements include TV spots and radio ads, social posts, a TikTok #JifRapChallenge and two limited-edition 37-carat diamond and ruby “Lil Jif Jars.” Ludacris gets one, and the other features in an upcoming promo.

All in all, it’s way less apocalyptic than Jif’s alien invasion video, and in tune with Smucker’s fun musical outings for its Folgers and Meow Mix brands.

CREDITS

Client: JM Smucker
Brand: Jif
Campaign Title:  The Lil Jif Project
Agency: PSOne
Agency Location: New York

Chief Creative Officer: Erica Roberts
Creative Director: Alan Wilson
Creative Director: Peter Defries
Senior Designer: Spencer Chan
Senior Designer: Zac Collopy
Copywriter: Josh Clayton
Art Director: Mollie Coyne
Designer: Connor Fitzgerald

Social Creative Director: Dave Gordon
Associate Creative Director: Judd Wachstein
Senior Art Director: Jessica Larkin

Head of Production: Tim LeGallo
Executive Producer: Lauren Schneidmuller
Business Affairs, Manager: Deanna Gattie
Print Producer: Dorina Sharara

Group Account Director: Yuri Lee
Account Director: Erika Maddrey
Account Supervisor: Nia Bolling
EVP, Strategy Director: Jennifer Baldwin
Strategy Director: Allie O’Shea
Social Strategy Director: Tristen Sechi
SVP, Public Relations: Patricia Hallock
VP, Public Relations: Laurie Shulman Derousseau
SVP, Media Relations: Alan Danzis
Head of Culture: Salama Warner
VP, Project Management: Alex Orson
Senior Program Manager: Ariel Wakasa-Gonzalez

Talent Producer Company: BCL Entertainment
Founder & CEO: Bettie Levy

Production Company: Radical Media
Director: Dave Meyers
Executive Producer: Jim Bouvet
Executive Producer: Gregg Carlesimo
Producer: Lisa Brugliera

Editorial Company:  Exile
Editor: Nick Gilberg
Assistant Editor: Shane Van
Executive Producer: Sasha Hirschfeld
Head of Production: Evyn Bruce
Producer:  Julie Zivic

VFX/Post Production Company: JAMM
VFX Supervisor/Shoot Supervisor: Jake Montgomery
Lead Compositor/VFX Supervisor: Patrick Munoz
Flame Artists: Adrien Servadio, Graziella Gandolfi, Louis Mackall
CG Team: Zak Dimaria, Connie Ho, Brian Burke, Ben Martin
Shoot Supervisor: Rob Rhodes
Executive Producer: Asher Edwards
Producer: Justine Pregler

Animation Company: Motif Studios
Head of Animation & 3D: Craig Parker
3D Artist: Andre Janse van Vuuren
Producer: Jacques Bock

Colorist Company: Company 3
Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld

Audio Record, Sound Design & Mix Company:  Super Exploder
Audio Mixer & Sound Designer: Jody Nazzaro
Producer: Meredith Nazzaro