6 Standout Marketing Campaigns in 2019's Sizzling Fake Meat Movement

Before the chicken sandwich-fueled stampede of the late summer and fall, there was the meatless movement of 2019, where alternative proteins were all the rage. The products, made from plants yet designed to mimic the texture and experience of meat (right down to “bleeding" burgers) grabbed national headlines. Players like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat built billions of dollars in brand value and jockeyed for deals with fast food and supermarket chains, meal kits, college campuses, stadiums, hotels and theme parks. Those in the category had a lot of heavy lifting to do to convince consumers that they weren’t hawking the dried out, tasteless soy or bean health food patties of yore. Since the target demo is flexitarians (those who occasionally eat meat), ad messages have focused mostly on how similar the faux versions are to real beef, chicken, sausage or bacon. Other considerations like animal welfare, sustainability and health issues didn’t crop up much in the advertising. [kickout id="9"] With the global craving for plant-based protein expected to top $100 billion in 15 years, according to JPMorgan Chase, the industry’s just getting started, and many more well-funded contenders are likely to jump in. The backlash will also continue, as vegans sue Burger King and some 30 states push for new labeling laws. From the height of the marketing mania, Adweek has cherry-picked some of the most notable moments from the recent past. Check them out here: [article_summary section="1"] Burger King Impossible Whopper Burger King is one of the all-time great pranksters, especially on April Fools’ Day. Remember the chocolate Whopper or the in-home ordering kiosks? How about Whopper-flavored toothpaste? They’ve punked us good in the past. But it turns out that the Impossible Whopper wasn’t fake news, even though the marketer announced the product launch on Apr. 1 with a customer-reaction video. Hardcore fans swore they couldn’t tell the difference between the regular Whopper and the meat-free one. [kickout id="1"] The test at 59 St. Louis-area restaurants, an out-of-the-gate hit, spread to all 7,000-plus BK locations just months later on an accelerated timetable, marking the first national fast-food chain to add an Impossible option. BK had its best quarter in four years after the sandwich rollout in August, with execs saying the meat-free product helped boost those results. [article_summary section="2"] KFC meatless chicken nuggets If the product is a head-scratcher, do you run straight at its convoluted essence in your communications? KFC decided to do precisely that with a social campaign to hype its experimental launch of Beyond Fried Chicken in August. A memorable tweet from the brand read, “It’s Kentucky Fried Chicken, but it’s made with Beyond Meat. It’s confusing, but it’s also delicious.” [kickout id="2"] The approach was a huge success, as were the boneless plant-based wings and nuggets, which sold out in five hours, proving that consumers were ready and willing to buy chicken-free chicken. The test took place at a spruced up, green-accented Atlanta restaurant, which drew pre-8 a.m. crowds and drive-through lines that double looped around the building. [kickout id="4"] Coincidentally—or not—this happened as Popeyes was making its own history with the now-famous chicken sandwich debut and stoking the cheeky Chicken Sandwich Twitter War of 2019. KFC, the first Yum brand to offer faux meat, could return to the product in 2020. [article_summary section="3"] McDonald's and Beyond Meat McDonald’s, the behemoth in the industry but a laggard in this category, finally (but rather quietly) rolled out a Beyond Meat collaboration in late September with a test in 28 Canadian locations. [kickout id="5"] The chain called the product PLT (plant, lettuce, tomato) as a play on BLT, which seemed to confuse buyers. Was it fake bacon? (Answer: No, it was a plant-based patty on the signature sesame seed bun with condiments). The PLT didn’t get a significant ad push or much on-premise hype, according to media reports, and its debut failed to generate the kind of frenzied consumer response seen elsewhere, calling its future into question. [article_summary section="4"] Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard get honest for LightLife As with most buzzworthy trends, celebrities invaded (or aided?) the alt protein cause this year when adorable Hollywood couple Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell shilled for LightLife plant-based products. [kickout id="6"] In “A Taste of Honesty,” the stars talked turkey about fake meat and smack about brussels sprouts. The actors, no strangers to the ad world, collaborated on the Endeavor Global Marketing (now called 160over90) campaign, centered on their candid conversations with their kids. If they’re brutally frank about everything—sex, vasectomies, etc.—they’re telling the truth about tasty LightLife products, according to the ad. The 40-year-old brand said the A-list endorsement was a kickoff of sorts for future “bold moves” that could include brand partnerships and original content to position LightLife as “a leader and maverick.” [article_summary section="5"] Beyond Meat gets into culture Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat, before launching one of the year’s strongest IPOs last spring, kicked off a brand-building campaign called “Go Beyond” from agency Stun. The ads, starring professional athletes like Kyrie Irving, aimed to counter the old notion that vegans and vegetarians aren’t as strong as meat-eaters. (Investors include NBA stars Chris Paul, Shaquille O’Neal and DeAndre Jordan.) The marketing also touts the product’s sustainability and earth-friendly cred. [kickout id="7"] Stand-alone campaigns—those not linked to a restaurant brand—have made sense for Beyond because of its wide grocery distribution in upward of 35,000 stores. The company, with a fluctuating value that now sits at about $5 billion, added Courtyard by Marriott, Dunkin’ and Subway this year to a roster that already counted Carl’s Jr., Del Taco, TGI Friday’s and Applebee’s as partners. White Castle and Wu-Tang Regional player White Castle, though smaller than many of its chain competitors, was an early adopter of faux protein. Not only that, but the restaurant let its quirky personality take the lead in marketing with the mini-movies dubbed “Wu-Tang in Space Eating Impossible Sliders.” [kickout id="8"] The campaign, premiering in late 2018 (we'll roll it into this list because it's that good), featured four surreal, extraterrestrial-themed videos starring GZA, Ghostface Killah, et al., a time traveler, a special effects dolphin and a 6-year-old girl. White Castle execs said the effort was part of their strategy to tap into pop culture and authentic supporters. Wu-Tang members are Impossible investors (and highly watchable pitchmen).

Year in Review

6 Standout Marketing Campaigns in 2019's Sizzling Fake Meat Movement

Burger King's Impossible Whopper, KFC's chicken-free chicken and other memorable ads

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley