Last week, Ocean Spray created a buzz around cranberries by turning Rockefeller Plaza into a cranberry bog. The 1500 sq ft area was transformed into a sea of crimson, with 2000 lbs worth of cranberries bobbing around on the water.

This is the 8th year that Ocean Spray have run this promotion, but this year the focus was on boosting their social media presence, as well as raising brand awareness. As well as the bog (complete with real life cranberry farmers) there was a taste testing area where passers by were invited to try various Ocean Spray cranberry juices and use the touch screen surveys to give their feedback. They were then encouraged to share their thoughts on various social media platforms.

During the two day event, Ocean Spray were also streaming a live feed from Rockefeller Center, running various spots throughout the days on all things Cranberry related. One of the segments included a cranberry-inspired cocktail making session at the bar in the middle of the bog.

The whole thing created real excitement in the middle of Manhattan as well as across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc – whether or not that buzz will last longer than a few days remains to be seen. It was however a great way for Ocean Spray educate their customers about their product. I personally had no idea how cranberries grew, let alone how they were harvested – but now I appreciate the effort that goes into getting those little red berries into our glasses.

Whereas some products rely on their mystery and mystique (I’m still clueless to what Irn Bru’s actually made from), some definitely benefit from openness and transparency. It would be great to see more brands sharing the whole product story with their customers, especially in such an engaging and interactive way as Ocean Spray.

By the way, if anyone wants to learn more about the annual cranberry harvest, just drop me a line!