In early February, Nutri-Grain announced the launch of a content-led campaign targeting teens. Created by JWT Sydney in conjunction with partners Finch, Mindshare, Liquid Ideas and VML, the campaign repositions the brand from ‘Iron man food’ to launch a powerful, belief-based brand purpose that celebrates individuals who ‘live unstoppable lives’.
The campaign spans long- and short-form content, supported by TVCs, digital, online, PR and social executions.
Reflecting the insight that teens want to live full lives but are increasingly held back by emotional, social or physical barriers that stop them following through, the campaign’s core content was created by JWT and independent production company Finch.
Centred around ‘unstoppable’ individuals, each inspiring story showcases the Nutri-Grain brand values of courage, strength and determination, and dramatises a new brand belief that ‘the only limits are those you place on yourself’.
“Nutri-Grain is a power brand that needs to stay relevant to teens, so we wanted to inspire them by bringing to life powerful stories of individuals who have shown courage, strength and determination, even in the face of adversity,” Kellogg Marketing Director John Broome said.
The first ‘unstoppable’ hero in the content series is Brazilian Derek Rabelo who, despite being blind, has learnt to surf. The story of how he refused to be held back – from dreaming as he listened to the waves, to the reality of surfing the legendary and dangerous Pipeline break in Hawaii – is the subject of the campaign launch executions in both long- and short-form content pieces. They also revealed his latest challenge as he takes up the intense sport of downhill skateboarding. More ‘unstoppable stories’ are in production.
“It’s a big responsibility to reposition an iconic brand, and Nutri-Grain needed to reconnect with an audience that’s been pretty indifferent to cereal advertising,” JWT Executive Planning Director Angela Morris said.
“Moving to a belief-based platform gives the brand reason and right to shift away from talking at them from the breakfast table and instead to have a more meaningful and relevant dialogue in the teens’ world.”
JWT Sydney Executive Creative Director Simon Langley said this is truly a big idea that gives the brand a new role in teens’ lives.
“Beyond making it relevant, it’s an idea that makes this a brand they will want to spend time with,” he said. “In doing so, we’ve changed every element of the mix – from positioning, to pack, to new iconography around the Nutri-Grain bolt – and the whole communications model with the move into content publishing, all carefully honed to earn teen attention and engagement.”
