Dive Brief:
- Upfield buttery spread brand I Can't Believe It's Not Butter announced a new campaign, "Spread No Drama," featuring multiple short-form comedic videos starring actress Eva Longoria, per a press release.
- The videos feature Longoria and her inner dialogue that takes the form of over-the-top "Mini Eva" characters. The messaging centers on inspiring people to "reduce the food drama" and focus on balance.
- "Spread No Drama" also includes hundreds of pieces of creative, including "mass awareness plays" in which Longoria and lifestyle and food influencers showcase real-life applications of the product. The campaign will be featured across digital channels, print, in-store, radio, social media and the brand's newly designed website.
Dive Insight:
The campaign is an example of how some marketers are focused on creative that can drive both branding and performance goals. It also points to a trend toward creating numerous digital assets that vary in length and feature slight tonal variations — for example, by showcasing a celebrity in some and influencers in others — so that consumers continue to be engaged by content, and don't get annoyed by seeing the same ad over and over again, as they surf around the internet. In another example, Macy's is focused on scaling digital creative to offer customized and relevant connections with customers.
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is using humor to highlight the inner monologues that many people feel when it comes to deciding what to eat and not eat. The campaign's launch it timesdto resonate with health-conscious consumers as many people are setting New Year's resolutions to eat healthier. The messaging also falls in line with the self-care trend that's popular with millennials, a key demographic for packaged goods brands, by highlighting the buttery spread's health properties.
Teaming up with Eva Longoria, who has more than 6 million Instagram followers, gives the brand the opportunity to extend the campaign's reach, raise brand awareness and drive sales. Pairing the celebrity endorsement with lifestyle and food influencers will add elements of authenticity that could connect with consumers, as many see influencers as more engaging and trustworthy than celebrities. Marketers are seeing the potential of influencers in forming authentic relationships with consumers, and 65% reported plans to increase their influencer marketing spend over the next 12 months, per a World Federation of Advertisers study released in July.
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter isn't alone in incorporating a health-related inner monologue into its marketing. In a similarly humorous campaign, Pom Wonderful featured the Worry Monsters, big furry creatures who break the fourth wall to complain that their once-unhealthy humans have started making healthier life choices, like exercising and drinking the brand's pomegranate juice. They create new scenarios for the humans to worry about, but their efforts don't have an effect because the people have changed their lifestyles.