Were you able to try the viral Jimmy John’s Picklewich everyone’s been talking about? If you haven’t realized…it’s kind of a really big dill.
After causing a nationwide pickle frenzy across social media last year, the fan-favorite Picklewich returned to Jimmy John’s for a limited time.
To make this comeback even juicier… In collaboration with VaynerX, Jimmy John’s teamed up with Demi Lovato for a pop-culture collab that’s as unexpected as it is unforgettable. Music, viral moments, memes, and mouthwatering sandwiches… It’s the kind of combo that could only happen on the internet (and in a Jimmy John’s kitchen).
Now, let’s unpack what made this campaign a viral hit. 👇
Pickles Meet Pop Power
We wanted to deliver a fun, relevant campaign that could top the original Picklewich, which was a huge success both creatively and the best selling LTO of all time.
Pop icon Demi Lovato is known for her obsession with pickles. She actually named her dog Pickle. And, as a fan of the brand, we wanted to center the creative around Demi’s organic connection back to this product, which felt like a home run.
Defining the Campaign Goals
This campaign was designed to live, breathe, and breakthrough in culture. Are people talking about it? Are people sharing it? Did it win the attention game on social media?
The focus of the campaign was to show that the Picklewich was in the midst of a comeback, and Demi was too with the launch of her new album. The tie between the campaign and Demi, back to this global idea of the comeback, became the synergistic through line which inspired our creative production process.
Our partnership with Jimmy John’s reflects our social-first approach grounded in the idea that culture drives conversation. We wanted to create a visual representation of Demi’s most iconic meme-able moments and then write a script that would allow Demi to feel comfortable leaning into those moments.
From TikTok to Table
Social was the engine, but the campaign extended beyond it. The Picklewich made appearances at the PickleCon launch event, turning a sandwich into a full-blown cultural activation. Mainstream coverage, like Complex picking it up, only amplified the buzz.
Relevancy = Speed
With cultural moments, speed is everything. From ideation to execution to edit, the team moved in just two weeks.
Demi’s contributions, like the now-iconic “Demi knees” line, added the kind of shareable flair that makes campaigns memorable.
The Picklewich Buzz
With over 60 million+ organic views and counting for the campaign, fans responded immediately. TikTok duets, playful references to Demi’s ‘wink wink’ moments, and overwhelmingly positive social chatter proved the campaign hit the mark. The Picklewich became an instant cultural conversation starter.
Key Takeaways
Always bet on culture. The best campaigns are the ones that take cultural moments that people are already talking about and leverage that attention to win.
At VaynerMedia, we do this work on the front end. We never guess that the campaign is going to resonate with audiences because before it ever gets to production, it’s been tested through organic social at scale. Simply put, by the time I am tasked with bringing a concept to life, I have the assurance that the agency has market tested this idea and concept on social media, which helps ensure that our idea will resonate with audiences in the right way.
With Picklewich x Demi Lovato, Jimmy John’s created a blueprint for breaking through in culture while keeping the brand front and center.
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