Cheeseburgers sizzling on a hot grill are as American as apple pie, baseball and monster trucks.
But a real meat burger topped with plant-based cheese? In this highly polarized environment—when food choices can fuel bare-knuckle battles along political lines—whose head is likely to explode first at this concept, a vegan or a carnivore?
Daiya, a Canadian brand that has pushed boundaries in its category in the past, is going full sacrilege—and out on a limb—in the latest iteration of its continuing campaign, “100% Plant-Based, Even If You’re Not.”
The new work, from longtime agency of record TDA Boulder, makes sure there’s no confusion about what viewers are seeing. Narration clearly identifies the provenance of the burgers and toppings. And while acknowledging that it’s basically blasphemous and outside the marketing norm to intermingle the two, the brand suggests a truce with the tagline, “Enough controversy—let’s eat.”
Trying to counter the “bougie sentiment” and “elitist attitude” of the plant-based industry and appeal to the mainstream, creatives decided to address the animal-versus-plant issue head-on, with full blessing from the brand, per Jonathan Schoenberg, TDA Boulder’s executive creative director and partner.
“We should’ve had this conversation two years ago, and we’ve had our heads down a little bit,” Schoenberg said of the industry broadly. “It’s a safe bet to talk to the loyalists, so let’s start talking to that larger audience. If we don’t, we’re fringe companies.”
By taking this approach, the brand stands virtually alone in the industry in touting Big Beef and a plant-based product in the same commercial, advancing a no-judgment, mix-and-match mentality.
Controversial, but not?
It’s both puzzling and also inevitable that a simple, stripped-down 30-second ad centered on a backyard barbecue could cause an argument. But the brand is ready for any potential blowback from its hardcore vegan or vegetarian fans.
The goal of the spot, called “Not So Controversial,” is to be inclusive, appealing to the massive addressable audience in the U.S. that sometimes swaps out meat for its substitutes, often referred to as omnivores or flexitarians.
