Welcome to The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods, a weekly round-up for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the CPG space.
Perdue promotes quality of its chicken feed with new snack mix for people
Inspired by the all-vegetarian diet it feeds its chickens, fresh chicken brand Perdue will be giving away 100 bags of a limited-edition snack mix, called Chix Mix, the company announced this week. An effort by Perdue to promote transparency in its chicken production, Chix Mix is made from most of the same ingredients as the brand’s chicken feed — which Perdue touts as “chicken feed that’s good enough for humans.” The snack mix includes a combination of corn, wheat and edamame, with a dash of BBQ spices “just for humans,” according to a company statement.
The move comes as consumers continue to express growing interest in the health and quality of their food, with 63% saying they like to know where their food comes from, per data from the North American Meat Institute and FMI, per Perdue’s announcement. Chix Mix’s release is designed to highlight Perdue’s efforts to ensure the health and quality of its products — specifically, its elimination of the use of human antibiotics starting in 2014.
The promotion comes on the heels of competitor Tyson’s announcement that it will once again use certain antibiotics in its chickens, Jordan Valinsky of CNN Business reports. “Chix Mix likely isn’t going to become a revenue driver for the 103-year-old brand,” he notes. “Instead, Chix Mix is designed as a marketing opportunity as the industry faces controversy about antibiotics in chicken feed and treatment of its animals.”
Buchanan’s celebrates “cultural duality” of Hispanic Americans in new campaign
On Monday, Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Whisky unveiled the latest iteration of its “We are the Spirit of the 200%” campaign aimed at celebrating and bringing together those who identify as 100% Hispanic and 100% American. Based on the poem “Can I Be Puerto Rican?” by Elisabet Velásquez, the campaign is meant to counter the feeling among many Hispanic Americans that they are ni de aquí, ni de allá (not from here, nor there) by celebrating their “unique cultural duality,” Buchanan’s said in a statement.
In two spots — the main 30-second version (watch it here) and a 15-second cut — the brand brings together a diverse cast of notable Hispanic Americans, including comedian Marcello Hernández, to showcase how these “200%ers” are “putting a unique spin on their Hispanic heritage with their modern upbringing to create new traditions,” according to the statement. “During the 30-second hero film, bottles of Buchanan’s are part of several celebrations as memories from the past are juxtaposed with the present,” Marketing Dive’s Sara Karlovitch reports.
In addition to the spots, Buchanan’s says it will host “a series of events and giveback initiatives … across local communities rooted in food and nightlife.”
Plant-based sports drink Barcode launches campaign with NBA star Victor Wembanyama
NBA star Victor Wembanyama will star in his first spot for plant-based sports drink brand Barcode since landing an endorsement deal with the company earlier this year, Ad Age’s Jon Springer reports. The campaign, he writes, “marks the first big campaign to date for the three-year-old brand, which is attempting to gain momentum in the crowded sports drink category by plugging a plant-based formula that includes mushroom extracts.”
In addition to the spot, which will air on streaming services during live sporting events between now and Jan. 7, the campaign will include billboards and ads on branded trucks featuring Wembanyama.
Lay’s partners with Matt James to release limited-edition “Potato Chip to Potato Dish” kit
Lay’s announced on Wednesday the release of a new limited-edition cookbook kit created in partnership with reality star Matt James, inspired by the viral TikTok trend of using Lay’s potato chips to make mashed potatoes. Called Lay’s Potato Chip to Potato Dish with Matt James, the kit offers a twist on a staple “Friendsgiving” dish, the company said in a statement. “Because Lay’s potato chips are made with real potatoes, the main ingredient of this dish is simple: Lay’s Classic potato chips.” The kit comes with a bag of Lay’s, with a limited-edition design, and a Lay’s mashed potatoes recipe developed by James.
“The success of the Lay’s mashed potatoes recipe hack on TikTok,” Trend Hunter’s Laura McQuarrie writes, “highlights the potential for social media platforms to drive food trends and inspire users to experiment with unconventional ingredients.”
Further reading
- “100+ Grocery Brands Commit to Tackling Plastic Pollution” (Progressive Grocer)
- “Jameson teams up with Cillian Murphy” (The Spirit Business)
- “How Tampax is using TikTok to change the conversation around tampons” (Ad Age)
- “Heinz Is Officially Launching Pickle Ketchup — Here’s Everything We Know” (Taste of Home)
- “Kahlúa created a $105 fragrance that smells like an espresso martini” (CNN Business)
- “Crayola looks to increase its presence on social media by creating 40 videos a month” (Digiday)
- “MAC Cosmetics aims to inspire the next generation of trans makeup artists” (Glossy)
- “Seneca acquires Green Giant canned vegetable business” (Food Business News)
- “Nestle backs food delivery start-up Wonder Group” (Just Food)
- “Coca-Cola uses AI to envision the year 3000 on Las Vegas Sphere” (Marketing Dive)
- “Kraft lobbies dictionary company on behalf of its ‘moist’ mayonnaise” (MassLive)
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you next week.
If you’d like to catch up on prior installments of this column, start by heading to last week’s recap: “The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods: November 3, 2023 edition”
