The world of business truly would have become much sweeter if J. Smith-Cameron’s “Succession” character, , had taken over. On June 4, Jif debuted “The Merger,” a campaign channeling the 19-time Emmy-winning business dramedy.
In , Smith-Cameron plays a version of the beleaguered Waystar Royco employee, except instead of playing right hand to an easily angered billionaire (Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox) on the HBO series, she sits atop the brand’s peanut-buttery throne. “You hear my voice and say, ‘Wait a minute’ and then I turn around, and it’s like, ‘it’s Gerri!’ without ever calling me Gerri or anything like that,” Smith-Cameron tells TODAY.com over Zoom.
“Without putting too fine a point on it, they kind of made this parallel universe where I happen to be the same actress who plays a general counsel on a well-known television show, but this time, I’m the CEO proper, not the interim CEO — and so that was kind of fun.” In the ad, Smith-Cameron is first heard talking with a Chocolatey Corp. executive as they both decide on a merger that rocks the snacking world.
Several scenes follow, reminding audiences of their favorite “Succession” characters, including a very Tom Wambsgans-like banana executive yelling at his own version of a cousin Greg — named Jeffrey — in the comedic spot. “It’s peanut buttery, it’s chocolatey and it’s an endless opportunity that’s going to change society,” says Smith-Cameron’s character to a ro.
