After 17 years of business, snack brand Late July is debuting its first national advertising campaign.
Owned by the Campbell Soup Company, Late July, which sells chips, crackers and popcorn, will begin its marketing push on Wednesday—fittingly, the first day of July. The campaign will run across broadcast, digital and streaming platforms such as Roku, Hulu and YouTube.
“We believed it was time to introduce our brand to more people, especially as we continued growth in snacking,” said Janda Lukin, CMO of Campbell’s snacks division. “And what better time to launch for a brand called Late July than to launch in the month of July?”
Retail sales of Late July tortilla chips have grown nearly 50% over the last three years to $80.1 million in 2019, while the category has increased 8% to $333.9 million during the same time period, according to figures from market research firm IRI.
The brand’s campaign, titled “Bring Out the Good Chips,” was developed with creative partner VMLY&R. The creative focuses on a bag of sea salt and lime tortilla chips—the brand’s “most popular chip,” according to Lukin—being poured into a bowl. Some versions of the spot have the words “Toasted” and “Crisped” superimposed over the action.
New research from the NPD Group reveals that U.S. consumers have a pattern of turning to snack food for comfort during uncertain periods, such as the 2008 Great Recession. Since the outbreak, snack food consumption has increased 8%, according to the market research firm.
“Although we can’t predict what’s going to happen in the future, I think it’s safe to say snack food manufacturers and retailers can expect elevated snack food usage while Covid-19 restricts our restaurant usage and overall movement, in particular school closings and work-from-home orders,” said Darren Seifer, NPD Group food and beverage analyst, in a statement.
Current conditions are certainly benefiting the Campbell Soup Company. For the quarter ending April 26, the company reported that net sales of its Snacks division, which includes Goldfish crackers, Pepperidge Farm cookies and Late July, grew 9%. Overall, Campbell’s year-over-year sales increased 15% to $2.2 billion.
In January, Late July expanded its product offerings with a grain-free tortilla chip made with tigernut flour and a line of organic potato chips offered in sea salt, BBQ, and salt and vinegar varieties.
