Almond Breeze x Jonas Brothers: Cut the AI Spectacle, Say the Simple Thing
Almond Breeze kicked off the year with a three-minute film that does what most ads don't: it admits the obvious. After cycling through a stack of "big" AI ideas, the Jonas Brothers settle on the line that actually sells the product - "It's really good."
The spot, led by McKinney with CYLNDR Studios, leans into the moment. Everyone's playing with AI. Few are saying anything worth hearing. This campaign uses that tension to earn attention and make the product the hero.
The premise
We follow the brothers' fictional "brand partnership agents," Nate and Jane, as they pitch a parade of misfits. First, Kevin Jonas fights intergalactic "milky monsters" in a hyper-stylised AI action epic. Then the trio are "generative" fragrance idols, selling Almond Breeze with awkward sensuality. Finally, a retro milkman fantasy that whiffs completely.
After the chaos, the brothers make the clean call: skip the gimmicks and tell the truth. "It's really good." Refreshing. Human. On brand.
Why this works (for creatives who ship)
- Product truth beats spectacle. The joke sets it up, the line lands it.
- AI is a device, not the destination. The tech serves the strategy.
- Long-form made of ads. Escalation holds attention without wasting time.
- Millennial relevance. Music fandom + new year habit resets keep almond milk top of mind.
How the AI was handled
CYLNDR Studios built the AI-driven sequences with McKinney from script stage, shaping scenes around each platform's strengths and limits. The team leaned on direction, taste, and design discipline so the output felt intentional - "AI slop" by design when it served the joke, polished when it served the brand.
The takeaway: involve AI creators early, write to constraints, and use the imperfections for storytelling, not as a crutch.
The launch and the layer on top
This film kicks off the next phase of Almond Breeze's partnership with the Jonas Brothers: inviting influencers to create their own AI-powered Jonas Brothers ads. Select pieces will run on Almond Breeze's social channels. A lucky few may even get a reaction video from the brothers.
Client and agency POV
Maya Erwin, VP, Marketing & Innovation, Blue Diamond Growers: "As a brand, Almond Breeze is focused on building culturally relevant connections with Millennials, and our Jonas Brothers AI campaign is a powerful proof point of that strategy in action. It brings together a beloved pop culture icon, a product people love, and responsible use of emerging technology to deepen engagement with our core audience. We're especially proud of the collaboration with McKinney, CYLNDR Studios, and Fleishman Hillard. Their thoughtful AI stewardship enabled us to push into new territory in a way that is on-brand, on-strategy, and sets a high bar for how marketers can experiment with the technology."
Omid Amidi, co-CCO at McKinney: "Right now, everyone's racing to use AI, and a lot of what's landing feels interchangeable. We wanted to go the opposite direction and use AI in a way that disarms people instead of impressing them. By poking fun at bad, overblown AI ads, we were able to land on something very human and very Almond Breeze. The product is genuinely good, and that realness matches the energy of the brand. AI was just the tool, not the point. And when the product is good and the brand is confident, you don't need to over-engineer the story."
Sylvain Tron, Managing Director of CYLNDR Studios: "Brands are under pressure to participate in AI-driven culture without adding to the noise. Developed within our AI Studio, the work was shaped with AI creators involved from the outset, aligning scripts to the real strengths and constraints of the AI platforms. The focus was on applying judgment, direction, and design discipline so the output felt intentional, efficient, and clearly rooted in Almond Breeze's identity."
What you can steal for your next brief
- Prototype the wrong answers on purpose. Show the "too much" version to make the right answer undeniable.
- Write the product line first. Build the spectacle around it, not over it.
- Design to constraints. Treat AI like a camera you know inside out - storyboard to its limits.
- Plan an activation layer. Invite creators to riff on your concept and feed the social engine.
- Let talent be human. Humor travels farther than polish.
Credits
- Client: Blue Diamond Growers / Almond Breeze
- Agency: McKinney (Durham)
- Production Company: CYLNDR (In-House at McKinney/Durham)
- Executive Creative Director: Can Misirlioglu
- Managing Director: Sylvain Tron
- Executive Director of Production: Kara O'Halloran
- Chief Creative Officer: Omid Amidi
- Chief Creative Officer: Lyle Yetman
- Creative Director: David Mattera
- Creative Director: Erynn Mattera
- Senior Producer: Kate Rauber
- Director of Production: Pierre Roache
- Talent: Jonas Brothers
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