I like the passive-aggressive nature of an advertisement by Lightlife Foods, which appeared in today's national papers here in the U.S. (NYT + WSJ, hyperlinked):
According to its website (https://lightlife.com/our-story/), Lightlife declares:
"We're proud of our roots. For over forty years, we've been committed to sharing our love for plant-based food and leading a balanced life. That's why you'll find our food is delicious and nutritious. Plus, we're always looking for ways to improve our food and the impact we have on the planet. We will always be open and honest with you—ask us anything."
Today's ad is an indication of that honesty and the firm's commitment to creating healthy food. Specifically, the letter is aimed directly at Lightlife's competitors, Beyond Meat (https://www.beyondmeat.com/) and Impossible Foods (https://impossiblefoods.com/). The opening salvo of the letter gives you a sense of the overall tone:
"Enough. Enough with the hyper-processed ingredients, GMOs, unnecessary additives and fillers, and fake blood."
In contrast to their portrayal of the products manufactured by the "food tech companies," Lightlife presents its own products (and governing philosophy) in a very different light:
"People deserve plant-based protein that is developed in a kitchen, not a lab. Our burger has only 11 ingredients. That's it – not 18 or 20. Our ingredients are clean, recognizable, and simple to pronounce. There are no fillers, GMOS, additives like synthetically produced 'soy leghemoglobin' for flavor and color. These just aren't necessary."
For more information on Lightlife's commitment to make a "clean break from the 'food tech' companies," see https://lightlife.com/cleanbreak/. And, for more on the firm's history of confronting Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, see https://www.adweek.com/agencies/hollywood-fun-loving-couple-dax-shepard-kristen-bell-kids-lightlife/.
Take care
David
David Chandler
© Sage Publications, 2020
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An Open Letter to Beyond Meat & Impossible Foods
By Dan Curtin (President, Lightlife Foods)
August 25, 2020
The Wall Street Journal
Late Edition – Final
A5
For additional commentary on the ad, see: https://vegconomist.com/marketing-and-media/lightlife-launches-campaign-against-impossible-foods-beyond-meat-enough-with-the-hyper-processed-ingredients-and-fake-blood/
