UPFIeld digital campaign

THE CHALLENGE

Upfield is the largest plant-based consumer product company in the world and the top producer of plant-based spreads. And while its iconic brands – including Flora, Rama, and Country Crock – were well established in the marketplace, awareness of the Upfield brand as a leading voice in the plant-based movement was relatively low, as was the influence of the spreads category in promoting plant-based alternatives (to butter) that are healthy, nutritious, and better for the planet.

Our challenge was to inspire people to consider adding more plant-based foods into their diets and strengthen Upfield’s reputation and influence among consumers as a plant-based nutrition company.

THE INSIGHT

Qualitative and quantitative research showed that anchoring the campaign to stories of real people would prove more effective at influencing our target audiences in the U.S. and U.K. It also showed that micro-influencers could help propel the movement across social media and provide the campaign with relatable and authentic advocates.

After an extensive search, we chose four diverse micro-influencers to be the primary characters in a brand documentary series. The series was comprised of four individual films, to be hosted on a campaign microsite and amplified across the digital media landscape.
Aubry & Kale
“A lot of fake barriers have been put up [around plant-based] diets; we’re just trying to bridge that gap.”
Lemel
“It’s my duty to shed light on the meaning of having healthier choices in everything we eat.”
Tomi
"The plant-based lifestyle has definitely added a lot of color into my fridge and into my life.”
Brendon
“It’s about breaking down the stigma associated with players or athletes who follow a plant-based diet.”

THE SOLUTION

To do that, we launched an aspirational consumer advocacy campaign, “A Better Plant-Based Future”.

The campaign was designed to amplify the stories of individuals who have made the switch to plant-based nutrition and empower a broad range of consumers – meat eaters, flexitarians, vegetarians, vegans, and everyone in between – to be part of the movement toward a healthier, more sustainable future for all. To pinpoint the most receptive audiences and geographies for the launch of the campaign, we tested creative variants from the docuseries using artificial intelligence. The findings allowed us to optimize the most effectual, highest-performing creative at launch, across a range of media channels, influencer-owned social media, and VICE, our official media partner for the campaign.

We are on a mission to A Better Plant-Based Future trailer

THE RESULT

The results have exceeded expectations and proved the value of leveraging micro-influencers as authentic advocates to achieve tangible outcomes. Using data science techniques, we were able to quantify the impact of the campaign against specific business objectives.

The campaign hashtag, #ABetterPlantBasedFuture, achieved a reach of 2.7 million

The campaign caused a measurable shift in conversation volume relating to specific attributes of plant-based spread –such as health and taste.

The campaign received organic coverage in various publications, including Chowhound, Bustle, and LA Weekly.