Dive Brief:
- Amy’s Kitchen, a maker of prepared frozen and canned foods, is tackling myths over the affordability of ultra-processed foods in a national campaign, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
- The campaign intends to educate consumers about Amy’s receiving the Non-UPF Verified certification from the non-GMO Project for nearly 90% of its product catalog, along with the long-term health effects and associated costs of a diet high in ultra-processed foods. The effort consists of Meta and programmatic display ads, along with an in-store Whole Foods Market activation.
- An economic analysis commissioned by the brand found a diet high in ultra-processed foods is associated with $359,836 in additional lifetime economic burden. The campaign comes as Americans are increasingly worried about ultra-processed foods, but are uneducated on what the term actually means.
Dive Insight:
After becoming one of the first nationally distributed packaged food brands to receive a Non-UPF Verified certification from the Non-GMO Project, the organization responsible for the non-GMO label often seen in grocery stories, Amy’s Kitchen, a privately owned company established in 1988, is looking to educate consumers on what the term “ultra-processed foods” means and to position itself as a healthy, but still convenient, alternative. The company has ramped up its marketing efforts in recent years, launching its first campaign in over a decade last year.
The multifaceted campaign kicked off at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, in early October with a 40-foot installation. “End the Era of Ultra-Processed Food” was projected onto the Clock Tower Building. The five-week campaign will run through Nov. 15 and is intended to reach health-conscious consumers between the ages of 24 and 44. Retargeting by MikMak will connect consumers with retailers via an add-to-cart function. The Whole Foods Market campaign, which began Oct. 15, consists of in-store digital ads in select markets and targeted digital ads through Amazon DSP.
To enhance its in-store presence, the brand developed a series of in-store assets, including freezer and floor clings, shelf talkers and strings as well as print and digital ads. The material is intended to help educate shoppers on the new designation.
An analysis commissioned by the brand and conducted by Lindsay Allen, Ph.D., a health economist at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, challenges the notion that ultra-processed foods cost less. The cost of food continues to be a major concern for many Americans as the rate of annual grocery inflation fluctuates and could hit 2.7% due to rising fuel costs. The campaign is intended to position minimally-processed foods as the better bargain in the long run.
A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans, also commissioned by the brand, reported nine in 10 respondents are eating ultra-processed food without knowing it. Additionally, half are not confident they know the difference between processed and ultra-processed foods, per press materials.
Nearly half also said they believe frozen foods are as unhealthy or worse than foods such as chips and cookies. Frozen foods make up a significant portion of Amy’s product range. The in-store assets may help clear up the confusion.
