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The basics:

• ShopRite‘s Can Can Sale started in January 1971 and was the brand’s first 360-degree marketing and merchandising campaign.
• The supermarket chain estimates it has sold over 3 billion cans during the sale’s 54-year history.
• The sale is seen as a “moment” for shoppers, similar to Black Friday or Cyber Monday, according to a marketing expert.

It wouldn’t be winter in New Jersey without hearing ShopRite’s iconic jingle about selling lots of brands of everything in cans.

Launched in January 1971 with the aim of enticing shoppers back into its supermarkets during the post-holiday doldrums, the Can Can Sale was the Keasbey-based Wakefern Food Corp.-owned banner’s first-ever 360-degree marketing and merchandising campaign.

With commercials featuring Moulin Rouge-style dancers performing in a can-can line to the tune of Jacques Offenbach’s “Infernal Galop,” the promotion has gone on to become an unofficial mid-winter tradition – and decades-long earworm – in ShopRite’s six-state footprint across the Northeast.

As ShopRite was gearing up for its inaugural January sale, the company turned to advertising executives George Meredith and Ron Gianettino for help developing a campaign for print, radio and television that, well, had a little kick.

Back in the early 1970s, most supermarket ads ran in print only, with few venturing into radio and television. So when ShopRite’s Can Can Sale commercial hit the airwaves, it really took off.

“The strategy was to create a unique merchandising and advertising event,” said Karen O’Shea, a spokesperson for Wakefern. “Central to the campaign was the catchy tune. It worked and has lasted more than a half century.”

Initially focused on ShopRite’s private label products and canned goods, the sale has evolved over the years to include national brands across every category, including pasta, cereal, sauce, coffee, paper goods and many other items at heavily discounted prices.

The annual three-week stock up sale each January has proven to be so popular with consumers that ShopRite added a Summer Can Can Sale in July 2002, featuring seasonal drinks, produce and prepared foods at great values.

Although there are no figures available from the early days of the campaign, O’Shea estimated ShopRite has sold over 3 billion cans throughout the sale’s 54-year-history.

“We love the Can Can sale just like our customers do – and, yes, we too sing along when we hear the jingle this time of year. ShopRite shoppers continue to find their favorite foods and items at some of the lowest prices of the year during Can Can, with new great values added each year. We work hard each year to make the sale the best it can be for our customers,” said O’Shea.

‘It’s a moment’

The success of the Can Can Sale – which is one of the most recognizable and longest running ad campaigns around – is due in part to the buzz it creates for customers, according to Patti Mandel, a lecturer in marketing at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Anisfield School of Business.

“While on a different scale, we can equate this to Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Shoppers have a level of excitement and plan for this event,” said Mandel, adding, “They are waiting for this program. It is a moment for them.”

“Nostalgia also has an important role in consumer behavior as it brings on a feeling of an emotional connection and an emotional connection can lead to loyalty,” explained Mandel. “In my personal experience, very few grocery programs elicit an emotional response; however, the consistency and nostalgia of the Can Can program has created this emotional connection. Talking about this program makes me smile as I remember the commercial and going to the store when younger. Just a mention of the Can Can program has me singing the jingle.”

Jinwoo Kim, an assistant professor of marketing at Stevens Institute of Technology, agreed, saying the campaign’s timing and lifespan are two reasons why it’s a winner.

“The Can Can Sale occurs after the holiday season, aligning seamlessly with the shift in consumers’ moods and life cycles from holidays and special events to workdays and regular life,” Kim explained. “As the holiday season concludes, consumers redirect their attention from occasional purchases, such as televisions or gaming consoles, to more routine and ordinary expenditures like groceries. You can consider the Can Can Sale as the mirror image of Black Friday: whereas Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday season, the Can Can Sale marks its conclusion.”

He continued: “The longevity of the Can Can Sale … allows the marketing campaign to forge associations with positive emotions, such as nostalgia, and to firmly embed itself in customers’ minds. The enduring presence of the campaign over decades has created a strong expectation among consumers, guiding them on when to visit ShopRite’s stores. This anticipation helps ShopRite maintain relevance in its customers’ minds and encourages them to revisit its stores.”

“Moreover, the well-known and addictive jingle associated with the Can Can Sale not only makes the song easy to remember but also serves as a reminder of the cheerfulness and nostalgia linked to the campaign. This positive association prompts customers to think favorably about both the campaign and the ShopRite brand,” he added.

Brand management

Maintaining a successful advertising campaign is always a challenging task – even for some of the most renowned brands in the world, Kim noted.

“De Beers’ iconic marketing campaign, ‘A Diamond Is Forever,’ was launched in 1947 and endured for over 70 years. According to a New York Times article, the tagline appeared in every De Beers engagement ad from 1948 to 2013. It is widely believed that this advertainment campaign played a significant role in shaping today’s perception of a diamond ring as an essential element for a marriage proposal,” he said.

“Another example of a long-running advertising campaign is Budweiser’s Super Bowl ads. The brand has been showcasing its ads since 1975, and these advertisements have helped consumers perceive Budweiser as a friendly and family-oriented brand,” he explained.

Kim pointed to both as long-standing campaigns that are now encountering difficulties “due to a lack of flexibility in branding and evolving societal trends.”

“For instance, the backlash from customers following Budweiser’s collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney underscores how a historically well-established campaign can become a liability when a brand seeks to rebrand itself and expand its customer base. On the other hand, De Beers may need a new marketing approach due to the increasing popularity of lab-grown diamonds and the diminishing significance of diamond rings in marriage proposals among younger generations,” he said.

“Therefore, firms should constantly monitor societal trends and be aware of the gravity of their long-standing advertising campaign when planning a new marketing campaign,” Kim stated.

Mandel echoed the sentiment, saying companies need to adapt to the ever-changing consumer landscape.

“This includes building awareness of a campaign as consumers change the way they receive messages. Embracing newer technologies by reaching consumers where they obtain their information is a critical part of a campaign’s success. This may include the use of influencers and increased digital effort,” Mandel said.

“While I remember the ShopRite Can Can commercial with the cartoon-animated dancers, younger consumers are utilizing more social media and less traditional television watching. Leveraging newer platforms and creating content that is optimized to these platforms will help the campaign and program thrive,” she said.

Over the last 50-plus years, the Can Can Sale has run into some hurdles, namely, a 1974 industry-wide shortage of canned goods.

While ShopRite considered cancelling the campaign that winter, it ultimately decided the sale was too important to customers and kept it going as planned, O’Shea said.

During the summer of 2019, the supermarket giant tweaked the campaign, replacing the Can Can girls with dancing shoppers and employees. At the time, there was speculation ShopRite retired them to avoid accusations the chain was objectifying women, especially since it happened during the height of the #MeToo movement.

ShopRite has said it was done as part of a refresh of the iconic sale’s creative approach, something it does “from time to time.” It also said its famous Can Caners would return the following January, which they did.

However, no matter what changes are made with new animation and graphics for print and television ads, O’Shea said, “We always retain the classic Can Can theme song.”

When it comes to keeping the Can Can Sale exciting for consumers, O’Shea said the priority is wowing them with variety and value.

“Each year, ShopRite expands the promotion to include new and popular items customers want, while offering longstanding favorites at low prices. ShopRite’s popular Own Brands Wholesome Pantry and Bowl & Basket items, including many new, on-trend additions to our private label portfolio, are also part of the sale,” she said. “Can Can Sale promotions are also accessible online at ShopRite.com, with pickup and delivery orders available through ShopRite’s Order Pickup Delivery service.”