By Katelynn Budzich, VRG Intern

Plant-based eating has long been seen as a diet craze; however, recently the number of people who are vegans and vegetarians has been continually growing; and along with this surge, the size of the vegan food market has been increasing as well. There are more and more plant-based food products popping up on grocery store shelves each year. Companies selling plant-based offerings go about marketing them to the public in various ways. In this article, I will be sharing what a sample of  vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians think about the ways Beyond Meat, Blue Diamond, Gardein, MorningStar Farms, and Ben & Jerry’s advertise their products and how these companies’ commercials represent veganism. All opinions are taken from a sample of Vegetarian Resource Group interns.

1. Beyond Meat: https://www.beyondmeat.com/go-beyond/what-if-we-all-go-beyond/

What vegans thought:

• “This commercial, targeted towards a non-vegan audience, does a nice job of encouraging the average American to consider eating meatless meats. I like that the commercial embodies the American culture – grilling, diners, cookout, farming – while managing to incorporate a meatless meat into that. Meat is usually a significant aspect of American culture, so it is encouraging that the commercial displays American life without genuine meat.”
• “I really liked this commercial. They were painting a vision of a world that was so positive and enticing, that you just wanted to be part of it. They show all different types of people of all ages, across different environments and situations. They appealed to men barbecuing, which is a masculine activity, as well as men working out which is important to appeal to them since guys think they need to eat meat to be strong. I also liked their tagline “go beyond” since it is catchy and makes me want to contribute to a better world by buying their products.”
• “Music was very inspirational and motivating – same with the voice they used. The people they showed were diverse and of all different occupations, showing that Beyond Meat is for everyone. It seemed very inclusive and tried to make it seem like everyone can eat their product!”
• A vegetarian for ten years who became a vegan within the last year, “…really liked this commercial! The music was motivational and uplifting and the images were all feel-good ones that gave the viewers positive feelings about the product being advertised. I also thought that the actors helped make it more personal since they represented people in our everyday lives, like ‘Grandpa’ or ‘the team.’… The narration was also key in helping to convince the viewer that Beyond Meat are great options!
• A contributor from the UK gave a nice counterargument to the other opinions, thinking the advertisement “felt very slick and professional, and they had clearly thought about how to appeal to non-vegetarians using vegetarian/vegan arguments but framing it without making them defensive (I thought the ‘what if’ framing was good for this, although a little annoyingly upbeat, same with the images and music). I thought it was a bit weird that the shot they used of being ‘friends with’ the cow was the cow just [standing] on the beach, not looking particularly happy, rather than showing the cow being visibly very happy and friends with the humans (this kind of thing). I also personally would have liked the comments about emitting less greenhouse gas and using less land and energy to include some kind of statistics (how much less gases/land/energy?).”

What vegetarians thought:

• “I liked this Ad a lot… they didn’t shove it down your throat on the ideas, which I thought was helpful to people who aren’t vegan/vegetarian”
• “Ad is effective in addressing the potential concerns surrounding Beyond Meat burgers through imagery… The two main concerns of Beyond Meat are the health and cultural impact of meat. Showing people running and working out shows that Beyond Meat burgers are beneficial to health. For cultural impact, showing these Beyond Meat options – burger, hot dog, etc. at the dinner table, at the grill, show the replaceability of meat with Beyond Meat products”
• A contributor who is a lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats eggs and dairy products, but no meat), said, “This is the commercial I liked the most because I find it more inspiring. The music is energizing and positive, and they refer to a lot of different consumers, represented by a different story, age, and skin color. It is especially inspiring the last image with the two little girls looking at the dawn. This ad really gets into me!”

What non-vegetarians thought:

•  “The images shown throughout points towards the fact that no matter what stage of life someone is at, eating plant-based is for the young, the old, athletes, families, and anyone in between. To me, this shows how accessible and easy to prepare the product is… From a marketing perspective… vegetables and grains are shown to be hand-picked and people seem to be happy while eating a Beyond Burger, which further emphasizes how much Beyond Meat can become a staple product in one’s life. Finally, the question, “what if,” is simple and repetitive, making it stand out and stick in the viewer’s head. This choice is strategic as it helps to define what the company stands for and also what they don’t stand for.”

Overall, this commercial was well liked by vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians. Many thought the video was inclusive and painted a vision of a better world that doesn’t consume meat. Although, what is most interesting to note is how more than one vegan thought this commercial was geared more towards non-vegans/vegetarians, as it appeared Beyond Meat was trying to convert non-vegetarians into eating plant-based, instead of marketing directly to people who are already vegans.

2. Blue Diamond: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/IW53/almond-breeze-california-almonds

What vegans thought:

• “The little girl introducing the almond milk sets a wholesome tone for the commercial. I think it’s nice that the commercial emphasizes the company being family-run – if a family uses this product, then it must be reliable. The family and the cute children advertising the products helps to appeal to pathos, convincing me that this product is pure and trustworthy. I also appreciate that the commercial shows the almond milk being poured into a glass, as the silky texture looks appetizing.”
• “The commercial was staged as a family affair, showing that almond milk is enjoyable for everyone. I liked how it was in an orchard surrounded by beautiful blossoming trees.”
• “I have actually been seeing this ad a lot on YouTube and that might be influencing my response, but I personally do not get super excited or motivated by this ad. I feel like it is not very easy to feel connected to the characters used in the ad, although there is an element of pathos from the little children being featured. The aesthetic is very calm, as is the music, which also sounded a bit generic to me.”
• “Music is very happy and uplifting – almost making you think that drinking almond milk is a very fun, joyful thing to do. Family-oriented, so it makes parents want to buy it for themselves and their kids. Also gave options – milk and creamer available.”
• “I didn’t really like this one; the family looked a bit creepy… and the whole thing felt very fake, I think because all the shots were from ground level with perfect lighting in the almond orchard and you couldn’t see beyond the forest, so it had a bit of a Disney-family-living-alone-in-a-magical-forest vibe. Also, not sure why they mentioned California so much – I guess if the ad only aired in CA that would make sense but off-putting to others.” This contributor also noted that from a British perspective, this commercial “would come across as abrasively cheerful/fake/arrogant/saccharine, and without enough jokes compared to the ads one would usually see on British TV.”

What vegetarians thought:

• “Cute and family-oriented. An uplifting ad.”
• “Ad is effective in its appeal to family and family audiences. Overall putting a focal point on families can make the product more appealing because it implicitly shows that a lot of care and personalization goes into each carton. The child adding that it is her job to test them shows that likely no harmful products are used because they give it to their own children.”
• “The little girl and the music are very sweet, but somehow this ad does not really invite me to buy its product. I think that a disadvantage is that they do not show people’s diversity. Besides, it makes me think about the environmental implications of almond milk (worse than other plant milks).”

What non-vegetarians thought:

• “I like the first question this ad asks: “where does your almond milk come from?” As a consumer, I want to know where the product I am buying is produced. However, overall, the ad really does not say much else about the product. It states the almonds are sourced from a family owned farm in California, but it does not show any of the processes and techniques used to make the milk, leaving out what seems to me a crucial detail I would like to know. From a marketing standpoint, it is interesting that this ad does not mention anything about cows or cow milk; pointing out that almond milk is not necessarily a dairy substitute, but an everyday product. Also, the kids are primarily narrating the commercial so connecting the almond milk with a wholesome family immediately associates the almond milk with a good, pure, and nutritious connotation.”

Many of the participants noted the use of a family and the ties that image has to reliability and trustworthiness. However, three people had the opinion that the ad was exclusive and lacked diversity.

3. Gardein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-s6oDD2Elw&pp=QAA%3D

What vegans thought:

• “This commercial is targeted towards non-vegans. Therefore, the commercial is not as convincing for me to try the product because the concept is not as relatable. Though, I do like that the commercial takes advantage of New Year’s resolutions to advertise because not only is it advertising a line of meatless meats, but it is also encouraging an entirely meatless diet. Both the idea of New Year’s resolutions and the scrolling through Instagram photos of meat are very relatable for the average American. A criticism I have for this commercial is that they should have shown more clips of their meatless meats. The Instagram introduction with meat photos was unnecessarily long, and there should have been a clip of the actual product being cooked or eaten. Showing less real meat and more of their meatless meats would have been more encouraging for vegans and vegetarians to try the product as well.”
• “This commercial was okay, they gave close up of really gross looking pieces of meat, which I think was supposed to deter us from it. Gardein made their food look really appetizing in comparison. I didn’t like the music though, it sounded like a lullaby. Also, at the end of the commercial they said something like ‘trust me you’ll thank yourself for eating this food,’ but didn’t say why, which I think is an important thing to include to give people more of a reason to try it.”
• “I personally am biased with this one too because I love Gardein products, yet I was not super fond of this commercial. The images of meat probably appeal better to a meat eater, as they mostly just made me want to stop looking at the video. Yet, I think the idea was probably relatable for a lot of other people. I did find the music nice, though.”
• “Background music seemed almost Christmas-y and joyful, kind of sucked you into the commercial. Made you realize how much meat you probably ate over that year, and think about change for the next year. Nice use of social media visuals to draw people in as everyone loves Instagram. Good videos of food that looks yummy making people want to buy it.”
• “I didn’t really get this ad at all. First, I didn’t eat any meat at all in 2017 so I guess it wasn’t aimed at me anyway, but the tone of the opening was very weird (“You ate a lot of meat” sounds strangely accusatory…). I also didn’t understand if the shots of meats at the beginning were shots of actual meat or Gardein’s alternative: given that they only seemed to be advertising meatless meatballs and chicken tenders, probably it was real meat. But if that’s the case, it’s very odd as the meat at the start was presented in such a way that it looked markedly tastier and healthier than the Gardein meatballs and chicken tenders. They also didn’t really explain why one would eat their products instead of meat: are they supposed to be healthier? And what does ‘meatless’ mean – are they vegan, or do they contain eggs/dairy instead?”

What vegetarians thought:

• “…No reasons [as] to why you should eat meatless… [commercial] said, ‘you use to eat a lot of meat, try not to now,’ but why?”
• “This ad was an interesting one in terms of the way it approached promoting the product. Showing several meat dishes in a row appears to be effective because they seem repetitive and not really appetizing when put in a row. Followed by this, a transition to the products offered by Gardein appear to be more aesthetically pleasing. As a result, the comparison of large, messy meals vs. aesthetically pleasing meals makes meatless meats an enticing product. I don’t know if this is the most effective way to approach an advertisement, but it was somewhat effective.”
• “I find this ad funny at the beginning because even if I do not eat meat, it reminds me of the [plenty] of food I ate during winter festivities with my family. Regarding the images of the product, I find them tasty and inviting. Even if the ad is short, I do think it can influence me to buy its products.”

What non-vegetarians thought:

• “Referring to meatless foods, specifically the meatballs and chicken tenders in the commercial, without any mention of them being plant-based or having veggies in them, makes the product seem more approachable and easier to switch to if never having gone plant-based before. The ad is definitely geared more towards non-vegans/vegetarians. From a marketing perspective, this ad had great timing airing it around New Years’ when people set resolutions and want to eat healthier and make lifestyle changes. It also paints meat as gluttonous and heavy, especially by choosing a whole turkey and beef roast to show, which are two very large and indulgent dishes. Also, the pictures of the meat seem very gray and unappetizing, almost looking like they were “mistreated.” However, when it turns to Gardein’s food, the meatballs and chicken tenders are bright and very enticing in appearance.”

This commercial received mixed reviews. Generally, many of the opinions stated the images of real meat dishes were unappealing and lacked any information about what the product was. No one found this ad to be highly effective, whether they were vegan, vegetarian, or non-vegetarian

4. MorningStar Farms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPVZy_ziLhY

What vegans thought:

• “This quick-paced, simple commercial kept me interested. The close-ups of the nugget being broken in half and dipped in ketchup made it look very appetizing. The girl trying the product looked like she not only enjoyed the ‘meat,’ but was also having a fun time. I like that the commercial immediately showed someone eating it – very straight to the point. The editing was super fun and bubbly, making me believe this ‘meat’ would be delightful to try.”
• “I didn’t like this commercial very much. Don’t have much to say here but I didn’t like the music and the whole commercial was very green which is their brand color scheme, but there wasn’t much substance to it or a reason why it was America’s favorite.”
• “This commercial also seems to be targeted to meat eaters since the focus is on how their nuggets taste like chicken. I think the actress’s interactions with the product helped make the ad more exciting too. I think the music was also a fun component. If anything from this ad threw me off, it was when they dropped all the nuggets from the sky because to me it looked like they were wasting food, which gives me a negative connotation to the company (which I assume is not their goal).”
• “Another very happy and cute feel-good video. Emphasizes “made from plants” so people don’t automatically think it’s super processed or junk food. Product looks like real chicken, so people will be familiar with product. Actor looks like she loves eating them.”
• “I thought this was good: had a consistent cheery tone, nice colors, got to the point. If I were to change anything, I’d add another actor so that she’s eating these things with friends/family etc., and maybe change the line the actor gives (obviously everyone saw it coming that they would claim these taste like chicken, given that they are clearly modelled on chicken nuggets).”

What vegetarians thought:

• “Won the hearts of plant-based eaters”
• “This ad was very simple. By listing the two most blunt facts: made from plants and tastes like chicken, the ad really simplifies the message. A plate of meatless chicken nuggets that appear and taste just like its meat counterpart, and a lady that appears to be enjoying the nuggets are complementary images that add to the message in a very simple ad. I think this is the least effective advertisement of the five, I believe the overall general statements are not that convincing.”
• “I do not find this ad so inviting. First of all, I think that it does not really show images from the product that would make you salivate. Secondly, I think it might be too short to be able to influence you. Thirdly, I do not find pleasant the sudden classic music. It does surprise me, but it also irritates me.”

What non-vegetarians thought:

• “I see why MorningStar Farms would state that their product ‘tastes like chicken,’ in order to make plant-based foods seem less imitating by comparing it to something people already consume large quantities of chicken. However, personally, I don’t really like that comparison. Instead, I would like to hear why it is better than eating chicken, what it is made out of and what ingredients make it supposedly taste like chicken. As for marketing, the commercial is simple and to the point. Also, when the Chick’n Nuggets are being dropped from above, the music sounds almost like angels and as if they are falling from the heavens, subconsciously putting in viewers minds how divine this product is.”

To sum up participants opinions on this advertisement, most did not find the product to have been positioned as looking delicious or the slogan, “tastes like chicken,” to be an enticing saying or good marketing approach. The consensus appears to be that this ad was not successful in gaining any of the three groups’ attention.   

4. Ben & Jerry’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni9kvH827Xs&pp=QAA%3D

What vegans thought:

• “Immediately the commercial begins by showing a variety of the ice cream flavors, which all look very tasty. The commercial’s premise is that Ben & Jerry’s listened to vegan consumers and finally created an entirely vegan ice cream line, which shows that they care about their consumers. I like that they show the woman who decided on the recipe and show her actually making the ice cream. It’s nice to see what goes into their ice cream – it seems of a high quality and convinces me to want to try it.”
• “I really liked this commercial since it was relatable, modern, and it told a story! That’s what I really liked about it. It showed they’re listening to their customers; they made the ice creams look so good and enticing. I also liked how they gave a behind the scenes look into how they made it and the customer service behind it… [and] the upbeat music and narration. They didn’t just tell a story, but showed it to me as well!”
• “Okay, this ad really made me want to get some Ben & Jerry’s vegan ice cream. I liked the storytelling throughout the video and I also liked how they used a real person to show the process of bringing these non-dairy ice creams to life. I thought the music helped add momentum to the story and ad as well. Additionally, the inclusion of real comments was a nice touch.”
• “Commercial tells you a story, similar to one you would see while on a tour of the Ben and Jerry’s facility! So, the vibe was just simply exciting. The story pulled you in and you wanted to see the result. People in it seemed happy about the product. When they showed the ice-cream, it honestly just looked really delicious and the same as normal ice-cream looks-wise, so people would definitely be interested in purchasing it!”
• “This was a solid ad. I understood what the new products were and their point, appreciated that they openly used the word ‘vegan’ while staying on brand and keeping the upbeat tone, and it was believable that the woman actually was one of their product developers. I think the music was significantly better than most ad music too, and very on brand for them with a bit of a late 60s/early 70s vibe.”

What vegetarians thought:

• “Responding to requests from consumers. Putting in the effort to make the perfect dairy-free pint. Had a flavor specialist to make the ice cream. Everything looked appealing”
• “This ad was effective in two ways. First, it shows that Ben & Jerry’s are receptive of their consumers, and they accept feedback and care for their feedback. Second, it has a very happy, upbeat mood throughout, which emphasizes how good ice cream is. Further, the ad had an expert, and they talked about how they would substitute dairy, which was convincing. Overall, I think the advertisement also took away from the difference between dairy and non-dairy by emphasizing the chocolate, peanut butter, and other auxiliary ingredients that help create flavor. I enjoyed this advertisement.”
• “This is my second-favorite commercial (but I think that the reason behind it might be heavily influenced by the fact that the last weeks I have been trying to eat less dairy and eggs, and I have had crazy cravings for an ice cream without dairy). The ice creams’ images at the beginning are already influencing me to stand up and run to buy them, and the moment in which the woman is mixing the ice cream with the cookies is just so inviting to me.”

What non-vegetarians thought:

• “This is a fun commercial overall. I like how actual tweets from customers were highlighted, showing that Ben & Jerry’s is really listening and taking feedback. The commercial does a good job at clearly stating what the ice cream is made out of and what flavors are available. I think introducing who created the new dairy-free ice cream is a really great marketing tactic as it puts a kind and caring face behind the product. It also emphasizes the large amount of time, effort, and commitment the company put into making a product that is comparable to its beloved regular dairy ice cream. Also, the scene when the Oreos are being folded into the ice cream looks extremely creamy and definitely drool worthy.”

As a whole, this advertisement seems to be a favorite among vegan, vegetarians, and non-vegetarians. The use of real people and real feedback stood out to most of the participants. Also, the commercial told a story and very clearly marketed to both vegans and vegetarians, but also made sure not to leave out attracting the viewers that do consume dairy, as many noted the ice cream looks creamy and mouthwatering. 

These 5 commercials show the disparities between effective versus ineffective advertisements. After reading participants’ opinions, it became apparent that some commercials fail to reach their target audience, while others hit the nail on the head, as can be seen between MorningStar Farms and Ben & Jerry’s. And for instance, certain ads do a good job showing a wide range of consumers, like Beyond Meat, while others do not, like Blue Diamond. The most liked commercial was Ben & Jerry’s, as it had no negative comments from participants. On the other hand, discerning which commercial was liked the least is not as clear, reminding people that overall, advertisements are a matter of one’s own personal perspective.

Thank you to the following individuals for contributing: Audrey Hunt, Clarissa Hauber, Daniella Eisenstadt, Julia Stanitski, Lucia Rivera, Odette Sanchez, Rithvik Swamynathan, and Simon Brown

Katelynn is a VRG intern and completing a college marketing major.