The One Moment

Despite being perceived as ‘just table salt,’ Morton Salt has been making small, everyday moments brighter for over a century. To shake off its dusty image, the 168-year-old brand consciously decided to forgo traditional ads and instead joined forces with an unlikely partner—rock band OK Go. Together, the two set out to prove that even the smallest moments can hold an incredible amount of impact, creating a 4.2 second music video that reveals over four minutes of mesmerizing wonder. The highly ambitious and visually disruptive video instantly went viral, jolting Morton from back-of-the-cupboard to the top of everyone’s Facebook feeds. Tasked with transforming an outdated, untalked-about salt brand into a modern, relevant brand amongst millennials, this bold and untraditional approach not only ensured Morton’s brand and message were seen, but watched and re-watched by millions of people.

Known primarily for being ‘just table salt,’ Morton wanted to move from being a #1 category brand to a #1 brand via conversation and word of mouth. We were tasked with identifying a unique and modern personality for the brand, elevating Morton beyond salt, and transforming a traditional brand into a digital native. Most importantly, the brand sought to attract one of the most fickle audiences: millennials. Thus, we knew traditional ads weren’t going to cut it. We had to seed our message by genuinely captivating people’s attention—not demanding it. So we leveraged an untraditional partner—OK Go—and launched our content exclusively on social media. By forgoing a traditional ad, a traditional media plan, and a traditional partner, Morton flew in the face of convention. And in doing so, we found a way to capture the attention of millions while elevating Morton beyond being seen as ‘just salt’.