Sweetgreen Courts US Open Fans With OOH Placements Starring Naomi Osaka

Sweetgreen's latest out of home spots have arrived in New York City just in time for the return of the U.S. Open—at full attendance—as the brand’s marketing partner Naomi Osaka makes her run for a third championship. The OOH effort, which was managed by the brand's long-term outdoor media partner MilkMoney, is a chance for both Sweetgreen and Osaka to expand parallel stories that both have been telling since the spring. Still, for the most part, the billboards, digital screens and takeovers in Manhattan's Union Square are all about “celebrating" the fast casual food chain’s largest market, New York, according to Nathaniel Ru, Sweetgreen’s co-founder and chief brand officer. Back in May, Sweetgreen launched a major ad campaign starring Osaka. As the ads rolled out, the company also initiated a brand refresh, aiming for nothing less than “redefining fast food,” a vision spurred by the perception that consumers were inclined toward healthy eating after a year of binge-watching and eating poorly during social distancing and lockdowns. At the end of may, just as Sweetgreen’s marketing program was rolling out, Osaka found herself embroiled in a controversy as she abruptly withdrew from the French Open, citing a need to care for her mental health. Sweetgreen’s Nathaniel Ru on the Connection of Telling Stories Through Food A different kind of partnership Any other brand partnership might have withered in the media glare—especially considering that Sweetgreen was already paving the way for an IPO filing at the time. But the incident, and Osaka’s decision to pull out of June’s Wimbledon matches, only served to validate the reasons for their alliance. In addition to being Sweetgreen’s “youngest investor,” the 23-year-old tennis phenom also participated in designing a meal plan. That personalized “Osaka meal” will be touted on the brand’s billboards and available through the Sweetgreen app. Highlighting varieties of being healthy, both physically and mentally, is what sets this marketing collaboration apart, Ru told Adweek. The OOH effort is a chance for both Sweetgreen and Osaka to expand parallel stories that both have been telling since the spring. “With Naomi, we just wanted to make sure that people knew we supported the decisions she was taking and to see how that amplifies the fact that mental health is health in general,” Ru said. “It’s all part of the conversation we’re trying to inspire.” Despite the emphasis on eating well, the marketing message in the latest OOH ads is not about getting people to try a certain diet or even to lose weight; the brand wants to be seen as integrating healthy eating habits into consumers' lifestyle, while bringing a sense of fun to its image. OOH and NYC are back Of Sweetgreen’s 133 locations nationwide, 36 outlets are in New York. So centering an OOH campaign in the city while its brand ambassador is enjoying some positive press in the lead-up to the U.S. Open seems like an easy marketing move. But the ongoing pandemic continues to produce uncertainty. Despite over 75% of the city’s adults being vaccinated, the concern about OOH and experiential marketing is considerably muted compared to last year. So far, OOH spending appears to be surging and reversing 2020’s 29% decline. For Sweetgreen, between the event and New York's reopening make the timing of the campaign just right. (The company didn't disclose how much it was spending on OOH.) “Out of home is having a moment in New York,” Ru said. “In terms of timing, it's an opportunity for us to reintroduce the brand when a lot of people are coming back to the city, and also when the biggest tennis championship takes place in the United States.” Is Out of Home Ready for Outer Space?