“Food is not a Science Experiment”

Campaign Brief #2

Why are we communicating?Ben & Jerry’s is entering a new era with their commitment to the elimination of all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from their products. GMOs are a “trending” topic, gathering interest both nationally and internationally. The majority of Americans support labeling of GMOs, and over 50 countries have banned or restricted them.

Who are we talking to?Our target audience is women like Emily. Emily is a 27 year old nurse practitioner living in Boston. She and her husband Mark are beyond excited to start a family. In fact, they are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in a few months! Emily does all the grocery shopping for their little family; while she has always been conscious of health, pregnancy is making her even more adamant about buying wholesome, natural food. When Emily and Mark aren’t working or getting ready for their bundle of joy, they love exploring the city they love on long walks through the botanical gardens or along the Charles River.

Key InsightsThrough research, we discovered how ingrained social values are in Ben & Jerry’s corporate identity. Even though Ben & Jerry’s is now owned by Unilever, the company’s care for the world has not disappeared. Ben & Jerry’s has decided to make all its ice cream without genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are the result of altered DNA in foods, including both plants and animals. This is usually done for the purpose of making plants more resistant to pesticides. However, there are many drawbacks to GMOs. There is no long-term research assessing the effect of GMOs on human health. GMO plants are beginning to cross-pollinate with weeds, creating weeds that are also tolerant to pesticides. In addition, because large corporations hold patents on the seeds for altered species, farmers cannot recycle seeds and must pay for new seeds every year; this cycle has put small farmers out of business. Companies within the United States have taken a stand against GMOs, and GMO products are either banned or severely restricted in over 50 countries, including the entire European Union. Despite this, the United States government supports GMOs, and does not require labeling of GMO products. Because of this, it is estimated that 75% of products on a grocery store shelf include GMOs.

What’s the problem and opportunity?While the majority of Americans support labeling of GMOs (92%), there is a lack of overall knowledge of what exactly GMOs are and the effects they can have. This leads to an opportunity – use Ben & Jerry’s commitment to GMO-free ice cream as a chance to educate the American public to the dangers of GMOs.

What should our communication do? How will it do this?Our communication will illustrate the unnaturalness of GMOs in food, as well as let consumers know that Ben & Jerry’s is now GMO free. To do this, ads will be very graphic in nature, with sassy copy that convey serious facts and figures.

What is the strategic idea?Food is not a science project.

How will we support this idea?This idea will be supported with images of unaltered, natural foods that have been grown in fair trade communities. With these images will be intriguing copy that makes the audience stop and think. Education about GMOs is an important part of the strategic idea.

What are the mandatories/must-dos?We must create a campaign that is clearly advertising Ben & Jerry’s, using the classic whimsical, yet edgy, brand identity. The company’s commitment to GMO-free ice cream is news-worthy. It is also mandatory to educate consumers on the prevalence and possible dangers of GMOs.

What are the creative considerations?These ads must fit Ben & Jerry’s well established brand identity while also communicating information about GMOs. The tone of the campaign will be sassy and edgy, with the aim of furthering social reform. Eye-catching colors and graphics are important.

What are the deliverables?The print portion of our campaign will be featured in bus shelters, airports, and subway stations nationwide. Our fourth application is an infographic window cling that can be used on Ben & Jerry’s freezers placed in the following U. S. cities: • Burlington, VT • Boston, MA • San Francisco, CA • Seattle, WA • Baltimore, MD • Miami, FL • Washington, D.C. • Austin, TX • Oakland, CA • Pittsburgh, PAThese cities are family friendly, liberal, and walkable, which make them perfect for education about GMOs via strategically placed ice cream freezers. We chose to target family friendly cit-ies because of the part kids can play in social change. It is more effective if these markets are not conservative, because the GMO message may not be welcome there. Eventually, it may be possible to expand into less liberal cities as the GMO-free trend spreads. With a guerilla marketing tactic on the street, more walkable cities will yield more views. Our transit ads will also run in these ten cities.

Creative Brief

I grew from

a tree, not

a petri dish.

It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy Cunky Monkey without GMOs.

Food is not a science experiment.

I am cocoa, not

Specimen #62.

It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy Chocolate Therapy without GMOs.

Food is not a scienece experiment.

I have

unaltered

DNA.

It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy Peanut Butter Cup without GMOs.

Food is not a science experiment.

Print Ad Locations

Our print ads will be featured at transit locations in our ten chosen cities. This includes bus shelters, subway cars, and subway stops. Our target audience members are active in their cities, making transit ads an easy way to reach them.

Food is not a science Experiment.

So, what does GMO even mean?

GMO stands for genetically modified organism, which is what you call it when you cross a tomato with a fish using genetic engineering in a biology lab.

91% of people in the

United States

want GMOs labeled. So does Ben & Jerry’s.

30,000 different GMOs exist on the shelves of your grocery store. None exist in the Ben & Jerry’s freezer.

50+ countries ban

or restrict GMOs,

while the United

States doesn’t even

require labeling.

Ben & Jerry’s now without GMOs.

InfoGraphic LocationsThe infographic created for this campaign will be applied to the front of freezers as a window cling. These freezers will be located throughout our ten target cities in high-traffic areas as a guerilla marketing technique. Because of the controversial GMO-focused content of the window clings, it is more feasible, as well as more effective, to have these freezers and the infographic located throughout our target cities, rather than within grocery stores or other places Ben & Jerry’s is sold in a stand-up freezer. The freezers will be stocked with mini Ben & Jerry’s ice creams of all flavors. The packaging for these little ice creams will have a sticker with a web link for more information. This link will take the user to an interactive version of the infographic, where the definition of GMOs, as well each fact presented, is explained in further detail. Additional facts and statistics will be available at this site as well.

This campaign was inspired by Ben & Jerry’s graphic and whimsical packaging. The tone Ben & Jerry’s has set is very loud and value-driven. We included pictures of not only the ice cream pints, but also current Instagram and Facebook posts and images of Ben and Jerry themselves. We also drew inspiration from illustrated ice cream cones and food art. An image of brightly decorated donuts was especially helpful. The hills of Vermont and tourism efforts of the state (where Ben & Jerry’s originated and has their corporate headquarters) were also part of our trend board. Not surprisingly, cows, both real and illustrated, appeared many times in our inspiration.

Trend Board

Brainstorming• Portioned packaging• Point of purchase ad• Refillable container campaign with sections• Food art• Cornucopia with pumpkin pie flavor• Cow eating ice cream• Stop motion with food art• Guilty pleasure you can feel good about• They call it a guilty pleasure for a reason• To-do list with Ben & Jerry’s at end• Study companion• Stress eating• Market to everyone?• After kids go to bed Ben & Jerry’s• “The best part of your to-do list”• Match packaging with nature• Right out of nature• Ben & Jerry’s in bike basket• Ben & Jerry’s is your eco-friendly, all natural companion• We’re there for you – watching sad movie• We’re there for you – getting over a break up• Cherry on top of a natural life• Cream of the crop• I scream for ice cream• So many options• Too good to choose just one• Why choose?• Simpler times• Take a break• The sweet taste of simpler times• Stay cool• Little kid with ice cream all over face – “Stay cool kid”• Kid with ice cream all over face• Everyone loves ice cream

• Cone versus dish (with social promotion)• Mimic donut picture from trend board• Pop art with callouts• “How do you ice cream?”• What does it mean if you are a cone and a dish person?• No matter how you have it, it’s delicious• Bessie approved• Locally sourced• From cow to cone• From barn to bowl• Udder with ice cream• Bike to work day• Udderly delicious• Co-ad with Vermont Tourism• “You can do better”• Might as well stay in with your true love• Get back together with Ben & Jerry’s• From Moo to Mmm…• From Pasture to Pint• From Bovine to Bucket• Peace to Pieces• Ben and Jerry’s as your boyfriend• What’s your flavor?• Celebrities holding their own flavors• Ben +Jerry+ Karen• From the hills of Vermont to the Chills of your freezer• Come on a journey from the barn to your • Farm to freezer• Parlor to pint• Old famous people eating Ben + Jerry’s• Cone vs. Dish People• Anywhere, anytime Ben + Jerry’s• Utterly Delicious• Cow eating Ice Cream• Cow pulling the Ben and Jerry’s carriage• Ben and Jerry’s part of your to-do list• Tinder profile• Hills in spoon, cone, dish

TumbnailsOriginally, we toyed with many concepts, including a war between people who eat ice cream out of a dish versus out of a cone. We also drew out the idea that Ben & Jerry’s is very fresh, so fresh it goes right from a cow’s udders into an ice cream cone. Many of our thumbnails were focused on the heritage of the company and its roots in Vermont. Cows were an overarching theme in many sketches. The last concept before our final big idea was the portrayal of Ben & Jerry’s as a woman’s boyfriend.

Rejected CompsThe original comps for this campaign featured each food’s speech bubble with the same copy: “I am not a science project.” In the first round of crit, the group we met with suggested making a colored pencil image. They also wanted to make sure the ad was very edgy, because that is part of Ben & Jerry’s image. To them, cows said milk, not ice cream, so they shouldn’t be included in most of the messaging. In the next phase of design, one set of comps used each raw food in its natural environment. However, this image was jarring due to the graphic speech bubble. This was echoed by other groups in crit. The images were also very busy, detracting from the clean, whimsical image Ben & Jerry’s does so well.

The other set of rejected comps were the same graphic background as the final ads, but also used only one sentence in all three speech bubbles. It was decided that altering these ads to make each one more unique would create a more diverse and effective campaign. Overall, our classmates liked the simple aspects of these ads, and the different copy added an additional aspect to the ads for them. These comps’ leading was too large. There was also an issue with the proportions, as well as empty space in the corner of the ads with the chocolate and peanuts. One ad had a drop shadow, which critics enjoyed and suggested adding to all the speech bubbles. Other ideas included putting the foods on white backgrounds and creating cutouts.

I am not

a science

project.

It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list, because we dont think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy half baked without GMOs.

I am not

a science

Experiment.

It is estimated that over 75% of processed foods on your supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is no longer on that list. We dont think food should start in a biology lab. Now you can enjoy Peanut Butter Cup without GMOs.

Other Rejected Comps