How Welch’s Fruit Snacks built a Gen Z-focused campaign around the idea of a remix

Welch’s Fruit Snacks is betting on music culture, creator partnerships and experiential marketing to introduce its newest product line to Gen Z consumers.

This summer, the brand launched a campaign for Welch’s Fusions, a fruit snack that combines two flavors and textures in a single piece, built around the concept of a “remix.” The effort culminated at New York’s Governors Ball music festival, where Welch’s hosted its “Ultimate Remix Experience” activation featuring product sampling, flavor voting and interactive experiences designed to encourage participation and social sharing.

The campaign extended well beyond the festival grounds. Welch’s partnered with a roster of creators whose content reflected the remix theme in different ways. Creator AriAtHome created improvised street performances throughout New York City that fused different musical genres. Terry and Kaniyia, known for their music reaction content, shared live reactions to Welch’s Fusions in the same format they use to review songs. Creator ThatsRockyy developed festival outfit inspiration content, while Ari Elkins produced videos built around the concept of matching snack flavors with music genres under the theme, “If you like this flavor, you’ll love this genre.”

Additional creators participated throughout the campaign, helping Welch’s connect the product’s positioning with music discovery, self-expression and cultural exploration. Financial terms of the creator partnerships were not disclosed.

The creator activity was supported by a nationwide sweepstakes offering consumers a chance to win VIP Governors Ball tickets and a trip to New York City, drawing thousands of applicants, according to the brand. Welch’s also hosted a hyper-local ticket giveaway event with Bunch of Friends, a collective of New York-based Gen Z creators known for documenting their friendships and city adventures on social media.

For Welch’s, the campaign represented a deliberate effort to launch Fusions differently from its core fruit snacks portfolio.

“The idea of a remix is really at the heart of Welch’s Fusions,” said Danielle Dexter, Director of Integrated Marketing & Communications at PIM Brands. “Each piece brings together two flavors and textures in one bite, creating something that feels unexpected and fun.”

That product insight informed the broader marketing strategy. According to Dexter, Welch’s built the campaign around the same themes that shaped the product itself: discovery, experimentation and unexpected combinations. Music became a natural extension of the product story, while festivals provided an environment where consumers are actively seeking new artists, experiences and cultural moments.

From the outset, Welch’s viewed Fusions as an opportunity to connect with a younger audience. The brand developed the campaign around Gen Z behaviors, particularly their interest in discovery, cultural exploration and experiences that can be shared both online and in person.

“Festivals have evolved into more than music,” Dexter said. “People are looking for experiences that help them connect and create memories with friends.”

Rather than concentrating spending on a single channel, Welch’s distributed investment across experiential activations, product sampling, creator partnerships, paid media, sweepstakes and social amplification. Financial details of the campaign budget were not disclosed.

Experiential marketing and product trial were among the largest priorities. Because Fusions remains a new product, Welch’s viewed sampling as critical to helping consumers understand the combination of flavors and textures that differentiates the line. Creator partnerships helped extend the campaign’s reach beyond festival attendees, creating awareness and engagement before consumers arrived on-site.

At Governors Ball, the brand also incorporated live flavor voting, inviting attendees to weigh in on future product innovation. The activation was designed to give consumers a more active role in the experience while generating insights that could help inform future Fusions development.

Success will ultimately be measured through a mix of engagement, awareness and trial metrics, including sweepstakes participation, creator content performance, social engagement, on-site interactions and product sampling feedback. Longer term, Welch’s will evaluate whether the campaign contributes to sustained product awareness, repeat purchases and stronger affinity among younger consumers.

For Welch’s, the broader objective extends beyond introducing a new product. The company sees Fusions as a vehicle for building cultural relevance with Gen Z consumers through experiences centered on discovery, creativity and participation.

“We want people to associate Fusions with fun, discovery and experiences they genuinely enjoy sharing with others,” Dexter said.