Plant-Based Products

There's No Chicken in This Frozen Dessert Bar? Oatly Messes With Consumers' Heads in New Ads

The plant-based brand puts a twisted spin on an age-old ad trope

Two men on a mini golf course try Oatly ice cream bars next to massive sculpture of a clown head — Consumers who thought they were sampling a conventional chocolate-covered frozen treat are predictably confused.Oatly

By T.L. Stanley

Inspiration meets innovation at Brandweek, the ultimate marketing experience. Join industry luminaries, rising talent and strategic experts in Phoenix, Arizona this September 23–26 to assess challenges, develop solutions and create new pathways for growth. Register early to save.

Here’s a tried-and-true advertising tactic that goes back decades: Hand a product to a person on the street, ask them to sample it, record their (hopefully positive) response and turn it into a cheery testimonial.

Commercial gold!

But when a format has been used endlessly, does it lose its punch?

Not in the hands of Oatly, a marketer with a delightfully twisted sense of humor and a penchant for messing with consumers’ heads (see the goofy and divisive Super Bowl spot of 2021 for reference).

Using

T.L. Stanley

T.L. Stanley is a senior editor at Adweek, where she specializes in consumer trends, cannabis marketing, plant-based food products, pop culture and creativity.

Recommended articles