Dive Brief:

• Archer, the marketer of beef jerky and other meat snack products, is kicking off its first national campaign as it looks to extend a sales hot streak and build off a recent refresh, per a press release.  
• “Stick to Real” positions the brand as an appealingly down-to-earth snacking option in an absurd modern world. One ad shows guests at a fancy dinner party failing to be dazzled by a pretentious chef before Archer and its blue bull mascot step in to satisfy cravings. 
• The campaign, which runs through the end of the year, includes a partnership with streamer Hulu around its “Get Real” reality TV hub and takes advantage of Archer recently signing on as sponsor of the Los Angeles Dodgers, among other media elements. Archer this year has expanded its manufacturing footprint and product line to meet climbing demand for high-protein, healthy snacks.

Dive Insight:

Archer is making its biggest creative swing yet following a period that saw sales grow 90% year over year, well above category averages. The company, formerly marketed as Country Archer Provisions, in February unveiled a new brand identity inclusive of the simpler name and a revamped logo and packaging, with an emphasis on an orange, navy and cream color scheme. The makeover, developed over two years, also marked a bigger push into digital for the meat snack maker, a shift that’s reflected in its first national brand campaign.

“Stick to Real” positions Archer, which boasts clean ingredients, as a counterpoint to the “over-the-top, hyper-curated version of reality” consumers encounter in today’s world, whether in absurd social media challenges or fine dining experiences where snooty presentation trumps stomach satisfaction. Ads prominently feature Archer’s anthropomorphized blue bull mascot as he dishes out meat sticks to hungry partygoers and poses like a model for out-of-home (OOH) billboards. Demonstrate is the agency behind the effort.

“Stick to Real” leverages multiple media channels, including a Hulu partnership focused on the platform’s "Get Real” programming hub. Spots will be targeted around reality TV franchises like “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and “The Kardashians” that tend to showcase the “unreal” moments Archer is trying to combat. 

In addition, the brand is running digital, social and influencer content, along with OOH placements in major metro areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin. Los Angeles is also in the spotlight through Archer’s Dodgers sponsorship, with ads appearing on the Spectrum SportsNet LA network.

Archer, which is based in nearby Vernon, California, signed on as the official meat snack partner of the MLB team in April as a part of a multiyear agreement. A month later, it opened a second manufacturing facility in LA to meet soaring production demand. The plant opening is expected to add roughly 200 local jobs. 

Founded in 2011, Archer is trying to better capitalize on surging appetites for high-protein snacking options and heightened demand for food lacking artificial ingredients and additives. Billboards appearing in “Get Real” carry prominent text and copy reading, “Real ingredients. Unreal flavor." Archer stands as the fifth-largest meat snacking brand in the U.S., the company has previously stated, and is targeting $300 million in sales this year.