In the last 12 months, there has been an exponential rise in people opting for a vegan diet. In the UK, the number of vegans has increased by 40% and Google searches for ‘vegan food near me’ saw a more than 5,000-percent increase.
It’s no surprise that the global vegan meat market is expected to be worth $77.8 billion by 2025, but it’s not just vegan brands that are joining the plant-based revolution. For the whole of March, Burger King made its flagship store in Leicester Square 100% plant-based. Alongside its Plant-Based Whopper and Vegan Royale, there were 15 exclusive new items for consumers to try.
With the competition growing, we look at the vegan brands that have got creative with their marketing campaigns in the past.
Meatless Farm was founded in 2016 by flexitarian Morten Toft Bech when he was keen to reduce his meat consumption but found there was a lack of tasty plant-based options available. Now, his products are stocked in leading UK supermarkets, and have supplied high street chains such as Pret and Leon.
In 2020, Meatless Farm launched a £1.5 million advertising campaign aimed at former meat-eaters who switched their diets during lockdown. The attention-grabbing slogan was intended for some light-hearted fun after a tough year and included signs that read “now that’s a M… F… burger” and “we love a big M… F… sausage.” It’s certainly something consumers would remember in their search for meat-free alternatives.
Based in Barcelona, Heura Foods was founded in 2017 by Marc Coloma and Bernat Ananos. Their goal is to take animals out of meat production for good. Focusing on Mediterranean plant-based meat, they note how their product contains the same amount of protein as traditional chicken, with only one-third of the fat.
In the build-up to Easter, Heura released a campaign suggesting that Italians should “eat (plant-based) meat this Good Friday”. With Catholics expected to abstain from eating meat, Heura took the opportunity to offer them an alternative so they wouldn’t miss out. This was promoted on the side of trams travelling through Milan.
Heura is known for its eye-catching campaigns. In 2020, they put up a giant billboard in the centre of Madrid with the message “a meat burger pollutes more than your car.” The controversy forced the brand to take down the advert, but it’s clear they’re not afraid of bold statements to get people talking.
Announced as PETA’s company of the year in 2021, Good Catch was founded by chef Chad Sarno and Derek Sarno (founders of Wicked Kitchen) with the world’s oceans and marine life in mind.
Their range of seafood includes salmon burgers and crab cakes, with all the rich flavours and flaky textures you would expect. But there’s a catch, made with ingredients including a blend of peas, chickpeas, lentils, soy, fava beans and navy beans, they offer a more sustainable alternative.
Good Catch caused a stir last year, with a marketing campaign that saw them offer free vegan subs outside of Subway restaurants in their ‘OurWay’ food vans. This was following a New York Times investigation that revealed there wasn’t any tuna DNA present in Subway’s tuna sandwiches. They challenged the chain to go fish-free, and toured London, New York, Austin and Texas.
They certainly got a lot of attention, including from Subway itself who threatened legal action against the ‘OurWay’ slogan.
JUST Egg was developed by San Francisco-based food tech company Eat Just. Their popular vegan egg alternative is made from mung beans, and with the same texture and taste of a normal egg, it can be used for scramble, omlettes, French toast, pancakes and more. Accounting for 99.2% of the plant-based egg category and with plans to expand into Europe later this year, their goal to become the most popular egg (vegan or otherwise) seems to be on track.
Their ‘Really Good Eggs’ campaign narrated by comedian J.B. Smoove focuses on the idea that people just want good food – they aren’t necessarily always focused on their health or the planet. With characters such as Wayne, who had a big night out and just wants an egg sandwich, and Jane who is up earlier than she’d like making eggs for her toddler, the campaign demonstrates how plant-based food is simply good food that anyone can crave.
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