New York-based Partners & Spade handled the creative for Whole Foods’ first-ever national brand campaign, entitled “Values Matter.”
The campaign focuses on the sustainability and fair trade practices of the grocery chain, summing up the brand’s philosophy with “To us, value is inseparable from values.” That line is likely also meant to defend the brand from its image as being unaffordable (as exemplified by the oft-repeated reference to the chain as “Whole Paycheck”), explaining to viewers that Whole Foods views “value” in the big picture, while implying a cheapness to the “value” offered by most grocery stores, who don’t place the same emphasis on quality and sustainability. The ad ends with the tagline, “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store,” a title the chain earned in Health magazine.
Other ads in the campaign — such as “Beef” and “Produce” — have a more specific focus. Broadcast spots will air during prime time shows such as Modern Family, Scandal and The Voice, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Saturday Night Live, and during World Series and NFL games. Media buying and planning was handle by Austin-based GSD&M.
“Not everyone knows what makes Whole Foods Market different from other grocers, or the fact that no other retailer has standards as demanding or as transparent as ours,” said Jeannine D’Addario, Whole Foods Market’s new global vice president of communications. This campaign will distinguish what makes our brand special, our food different and our quality superior.”