“If you’ve ever called a GIF a Jif®, we forgive you.” That’s the word from Jif peanut butter and GIPHY as they team up to settle the great debate over how to pronounce GIF (hard-G please), in a playful new initiative created by Publicis Groupe.

The “#JifvsGIF” campaign lineup includes a limited-edition “GIF” peanut butter jar available immediately on Amazon, a suite of custom Jif GIFs created in partnership with GIPHY, as well as this satirical video written by Publicis shop PSOne and produced by Funny or Die, featuring linguistics “Professor” Gary Goodman (pronounced Jary Joodman) angrily (pronounced anjrily) refuting Jif’s stance.

Carlyn Hudson directed the film via Funny or Die.

“We’re always looking for ways to inject our brands into cultural conversations,” stated Andy Bird, chief creative officer, PSOne. “But in the case of Jif vs. GIF, the brand is the conversation. It’s a debate that’s been going on for a decade, and I’m so proud of the team for finally harnessing the power of this social conversation in such hilarious ways and making it Jif’s own.”

“Since last year’s launch of the That Jif’ing Good campaign, the brand has truly embraced its new-found irreverence,” said Erica Roberts, executive creative director, PSOne. “This is what gave us the permission to meaningfully jump into the #JifvsGIF debate after nearly a decade. It’s really the first time in the brand’s history, where hijacking a conversation like this is actually on-brand. I’m so proud of the PSOne and GIPHY teams for tapping into the absurdity of the debate and ratcheting it up to the next level.”

Credits

Client The J. M. Smucker Company/Jif, GIPHY Agency PSOne, New York Andy Bird, chief creative officer; Erica Roberts, executive creative director; Jon Hackett, emerging technology director; Alan Wilson, associate creative director, copy; Peter Defries, associate creative director, art; Blake Fromkin, copywriter; Molly Prunka, art director; Zachary Collopy, Guillermo Echevarria, designers; Marga Javier, Janice Park, experience design; Allie O’Shea, strategy director. Production Company Funny Or Die Carlyn Hudson, director; Michelle Senay, Nate Vaughan, producers. Editorial Funny Or Die Andrew Jewell, editor; Michelle Senay,  producer. Audio Record & Mix Kylen Deporter.

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