Dive Brief:

• RXBar is countering traditional “New Year, New You” marketing messaging associated with New Year’s resolutions with a campaign that combats “B.S.” in ads, according to a press release.
• The effort, meant to highlight the brand’s straightforward ingredients, includes a B.S. Blocker Truck that will tour New York City on Jan. 3. Local consumers can text a designated number to report “toxic” ads, and the truck will then appear to block them. 
• Additionally, a social media call-to-action will encourage consumers to share what they plan to leave behind in the new year to receive a discount code. A partnership with social media personality @dudettewithsign and additional out-of-home activations in New York round out the effort. 

Dive Insight:

After the indulgence of the holiday season, the turn of the year has traditionally been a time for a certain type of marketer to dominate the conversation, specifically those promoting fitness, healthy eating and other products and services generally associated with New Year’s resolutions. However, such marketing often promotes unrealistic expectations, a truth that RXBar is seeking to combat with its latest campaign. 

Central to the brand’s effort is its B.S. Blocker Truck, which will tour New York City on Jan. 3 and invite consumers to text a designated number to report the toxic ads that they’re tired of seeing. The truck will then block the ads — literally — to instead encourage messages of authenticity and self-acceptance. Additionally, the brand will take over prime billboard spaces in the area to remind consumers that they don’t need to change. 

RXBar will also encourage consumers to share their own B.S. blocking resolutions via social media in exchange for discount codes and has partnered with @dudettewithsign, a social media figure known for holding up cardboard signs with bold messages, who will encourage people to call out what they intend to leave behind in 2025. The campaign was handled in partnership with creative agency Tombras. 

Its latest campaign isn’t the first time RXBar has embodied a “no B.S.” mantra. In 2021, the brand launched “Put It All Out There,” a campaign that embraced a broader definition of fitness to include nutrition and mindfulness. Creative for the campaign ended with the tagline “If you got it, flaunt it,” messaging meant to tie into RXBar’s tactic of listing a product’s ingredients on the front of its packaging. 

Other marketers have also sought to reject toxic “New Year, New You” messaging recently, particularly in the fitness industry. In December, Orangetheory launched a brand campaign and platform entitled “Every Reason is the Right Reason,” an effort that centers around the diversity of Orangetheory members and the multitude of reasons why they may go to the gym.