Russell Stover Makes You Happy With Ear Candy From Victory Boyd

Candy brand Russell Stover returns to national advertising after an absence of more than two decades with a tuneful campaign devised by Cutwater. 

Repositioning the 96-year-old confectioner as a gifting company, the initiative includes “I Wanna Make You Happy,” a breezy, uptempo pop tune composed and performed by Roc Nation artist Victory Boyd. 

“I made a song that feels as sweet as Russell Stover chocolate tastes,” she says.

Judge for yourself with the centerpiece spot below, which features various folks presenting their loved ones with…

…boxes of Russell Stover candies, what else?

“We all know and love the Russell Stover brand, so it was important to us to refresh it for today’s consumer base but also stay true to its core purpose,” says Cutwater founder and creative chief Chuck McBride. “We came up with this idea of showcasing the journey of the gifter, because the gifter is the person who is ‘Making Happy’—making life sweeter with those little acts of generosity.”

Themed “Make Happy,” the campaign also includes social media outreach and this behind-the-scenes video of Boyd creating and recording the number:

“This song is about loving someone so much, you want to see them lose it—just make them feel so happy and feel so loved,” Boyd says in the clip. She felt blue in the studio that day, and credits her friends on hand for pulling her through. “The way they made me feel inspired this song,” she says. “They made me feel happy, and the lyrics just started coming.”

Here’s the full-length track:

CREDITS 

Client // Russell Stover Chocolates 
Chief Executive Officer – Andrew Diester 
VP Of Marketing – Mark Riegel 
Integrated Marketing – Pat Swindle 
Creative Director – Kathryn Castle 
Senior Brand Manager – Brian Burchield 
Ecommerce Manager – Angela Fickess 
Digital Marketing Analyst – Madison Llewellyn 

Agency // Cutwater 
Co-Founder/Chief Creative Officer – Chuck McBride 
Co-Founder/Principal – Christian Hughes 
Head Of Production – Michael Huntley 
Creative Director – Toby Petersen 
Executive Producer – Michael Huntley 
Copywriter – Hannah Sanderson 
Art Director – Cullen Newsome 
Editor – Michael Pavoni 
Group Account Director – Greer Gonerka 
Account Manager – Emma Walsh 
Media Director – Pip Bingemann 
Head Of Strategy – Ilana Bryant 

PR Support // Endeavor 
Executive Vice President – Samantha Stark 
Senior Account Director – Bates Grainger 
Account Director – Kristen Mcmahon 

Content Production // Pulse/Person 
Production Company – Pulse/Person 
Director – Michael Haussman 
Global President Of Commercials – Davud Karbassioun 
Head Of Production – Jennifer Ingalls 
Executive Producer – Cecile Leroy 
Executive Producer – Darren Foldes 
Producer – Cecile Leroy 
Line Producer – Cecile Leroy 
Dp – Paolo Caimi 
Ad – Alberto Mangiante 
2nd Ad – Luca Padrini 
Production Designer – Francesca Di Mottola 
Casting Agent/Director – Studio T, Gianni Laricchiuta 
Photographer – Viviana Berti 

Finishing // Framestore 
Finish – Gretchen Capatan 
Finish – Carlos Adarraga 
Conform – Evan Reinhard 
Colorist – Beau Leon 
Color Assist – Nabil Moo 

Mix // One Union 
Audio Engineer – Andy Greenberg 
Producer – Jaylen Block-Smith 

Music // Victory Boyd 
Artist – Victory Boyd 
Composer – Victory Boyd 
Audio Engineer – Oliver Strauss 
Publisher – The Songs Of Glory 
Label – Roc Nation 

Audio // Quislife 
Recording Studio – Quislife Detroit Recording Studio 
Audio Engineer – Marquis Johnson 
Producer – Marquis Johnson 
Producer – Eric Johnson 
Producer – Gary Johnson 

Audio // Mission Sound 
Recording Studio – Mission Sound Recording Brooklyn 
Audio Engineer – Oliver Strauss