Editorial ✖ Sell Veg Like Vapes
Why carrots could learn a lot from Tony The Tiger
Written by George Bartlett, Associate Creative Director Truant
First published LBB Online
Image credit: Nick Fewings via Unsplash
Carrots could learn a lot from Tony The Tiger.
Last month, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting commented on the flogging of junk food to children.
He joked: 'We should second Tony the Tiger off Frosties and on to buy-one-get-one-free deals for fruit and veg!’
An off the cuff remark?
Or a eureka moment for solving the child obesity epidemic?
Tony The Tiger. The Honey Monster. Peperami’s Animal. Coco The Monkey.
Image credit: Nyana Stoica via Unsplash
All brilliant, eccentric, colourful brand characters who have wormed their way into the curious minds of children everywhere.
And veg? Who have they got?
Kevin?
Yup, carrots have a lot to learn.
Health food advertising is a marshland of bland.
It’s often very wholesome and fresh.
But do young people want wholesome and fresh?
Nope. Turbo-raspberry-ultra-ice-tornado-blast flavour vapes.
That’s what they’re after.
And I can understand why.
It’s the long lost sweet treat advertising of the 90s.
And that’s what the health food category needs.
In a different take, last week Boris Johnson wrote:
“It’s time for tobacco-style warnings on UPF food, with pictures of the giant pot belly it can give you”.
I appreciate BoJo’s appetite for change.
But I really hope I don’t see his pot belly lining the aisles of my local Sainos.
Shaming people into healthy eating doesn’t feel like a very progressive move.
Not to mention the studies showing that this has had little to no effect on cigarette smoking.
Broccoli?! Sprouts?! Broad beans?!
Whatever it is, we need to be better at promoting health.
And there’s a real gap in the market for a brand that wants to flip the narrative.
So let’s sell veg like vapes.
Health bars like chocolate bars.
And fruit like the turbo fuel it is.
Pot bellies aren’t going to get the job done.
Soz BoJo.
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About Truant
Truant is a new era creative company, bringing maximum attention to brands through advertising and music.
Fully independent and Campaign Magazine Top 50 agency, with a unique approach that puts music at the heart of much of its work. Truant has worked with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Pepsi MAX, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin and has twice won Campaign’s Best Places to Work.