Impossible Launches ‘Making Meat History’ Ads
Impossible Foods is gearing up for summer with the launch of two new national advertising campaigns designed to introduce consumers across the country to the plant-based meat category as well as Impossible’s brand and products.
Premiering June 11 during the 76th Annual Tony Awards broadcast, Impossible’s “Making Meat History” campaign is a rollicking 90-second musical advertisement. It explores the history of meat through the ages and up to the present day, when the musical’s “historian” narrator introduces meat from a new animal called “the plant.” Impossible created the ad to familiarize consumers with the concept of plant-based meat and its benefits in a lighthearted, entertaining and memorable way.
The second campaign, “The Summer of Impossible,” serves to stake the company’s claim as a maker of meat for meat-lovers that just happens to be made from plants. It highlights the many benefits of Impossible products through a series of shorter, product-focused vignettes featuring quippy dialogues between an Impossible™ Burger and a burger made with animal meat. Impossible will continue to introduce new vignettes throughout the summer to keep the campaign fresh and entice consumers to put Impossible on their shopping list all season long.
“We need to welcome consumers into the plant-based space and give them a reason to choose Impossible,” said Leslie Sims, Chief Marketing & Creative Officer of Impossible Foods. “These campaigns are lighthearted and approachable by design to make the choice between our products and animal meat feel less intimidating. We want consumers to know they don’t have to give up the meat they love. Impossible products are meat – just made from plants – so they’re still delicious and have a ton of other benefits.”
Both campaigns were developed in partnership with SUPER SERIOUS, the newly established creative studio led by celebrated actor and television host Terry Crews and his co-founders Matthew O’Rourke and Paul Sutton. The studio, which embodies the mantra “everything is entertainment,” has adopted an agile and iterative approach to creative development and plans to produce work for television, feature films, commercials and everything in between. SUPER SERIOUS immediately saw Impossible Foods as the right client to launch its business, as the founding trio shares a genuine affinity for Impossible’s purpose and products.
And to direct the musical spot, SUPER SERIOUS signed on the acclaimed Emmy-winning film and music video director, Jake Scott.
The summer marketing effort adopts a more inclusive and accessible tone for the brand, seeking to transcend vegan and vegetarian audiences to reach as many flexitarian and meat-eating consumers as possible. Impossible Foods has not historically invested in sustained traditional advertising, instead leaning on high-profile partnerships, earned media and word-of-mouth to increase brand awareness. Now, under the new leadership of Sims, the company is ramping up its marketing engine to drive trial and invite new consumers to make this summer “The Summer of Impossible.”
For more news of interest to the plant protein industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.
Derek Jeter Joins Meati Foods as Investor, Advisor
Meati Foods, the producer of animal-free meat made from mushroom root, announced that MLB Hall of Fame member, investor and entrepreneur Derek Jeter has joined the company as an investor and advisor.
“When it came to considering an investment in this industry, I had three main priorities in evaluating the food: nutrition, sustainability and taste,” said Jeter. “Meati certainly delivers, with great quality steaks and cutlets and an institutional emphasis on high nutritional value and sustainable practices. As we look to the future, the choices we make and the impact we leave are critical, and I appreciate the way Meati has dedicated efforts to making a real difference.”
Eat Meati products, available in Sprouts nationwide as well as restaurants including PLNT Burger and Birdcall, include the Classic Cutlet, Crispy Cutlet, Classic Steak and Carne Asada Steak. Jeter joins a roster of significant supporters, including culinary icons like cook, philanthropist and television personality, Rachael Ray; chef and founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media, David Chang; the co-founders of restaurant chain sweetgreen, Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman; and former White House senior policy advisor for nutrition, Sam Kass. Alongside Jeter, these partnerships reflect Meati’s diverse appeal and its vision to create a more inclusive food ecosystem.
“An investment from Derek, one of the greatest athletes of all time, is a huge validation of our food. Very few people are as discriminating about the quality of food that fuels their bodies,” said Scott Tassani, president and COO of Meati Foods. “Derek has seen endless products cross his desk for partnership consideration, and we’re honored by his support and inspired by his passion for a more sustainable, equitable, nutritious food ecosystem.”
Following a 20-year career with the New York Yankees, Jeter has participated in a number of successful business ventures and entrepreneurial investments while maintaining his ties to baseball. His previous investments in the food and beverage industry include Performance Kitchen, Amass and Bespoken Spirits. He established the Turn 2 Foundation in 1996, which has awarded more than $34 million in grants to create and support signature programs that motivate young people to “Turn 2” healthy lifestyles. In recognition of his historic impact on the game of baseball, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020.
Founded in 2017, Meati Foods is working to unlock a more delicious, nutritious, equitable and sustainable food system for everyone. Eat Meati, the debut product line from Meati Foods, features cutlets and steaks made from mushroom root, a whole-food protein cultivated with a modernized version of ancient and natural processes that have helped preserve Earth’s ecosystems for millennia. Eat Meati made its national, retail debut in March 2023 after a year of record sellouts through its direct-to-doorstep online shop. A national omni-channel footprint is planned for late 2023.
For more news of interest to the specialty food industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.
MyForest Foods Raises $15M, Hires CEO
MyForest Foods Co. has raised $15 million in Series A-2 funding to support its next chapter of growth and further bring its hero product, MyBacon, to more consumers across the East Coast. The round was led by MyForest Foods’ parent company, Ecovative Design.
The majority of the proceeds will be used to support MyForest Foods’ retail growth and foodservice presence as it expands its footprint across the Eastern Seaboard, including New York City. The company’s popular mycelium-based meatless bacon product, MyBacon, is commercially available at multiple Fairway Market and Gourmet Garage store locations throughout Manhattan. These additions mark a new milestone; MyBacon is available in over 100 retail locations across the Northeast.
“The plant-based category is at a unique inflection point, where only the most promising and delicious innovations will thrive. I believe MyForest Foods has met this call with its unique MyBacon offering,” said Gary Hirshberg, co-founder of Stonyfield Farm and MyForest Foods board member. “The company is scaling its operations to meet consumers’ growing demand. With this additional investment, it will expand its market presence, attract new retailers, and educate customers about the power of mycelium.”
To support the company during this crucial growth period and into the future, MyForest Foods has hired Greg Shewchuk as its chief executive officer, effective immediately. Eben Bayer, the company’s co-founder and former CEO, will remain chairman of the board and continue to support the team’s continued operational expansion. He will remain CEO of Ecovative, which continues developing and scaling mycelium products to meet everyday needs.
“MyForest Foods was founded by a team of innovators with a passion for growing mycelium, an insight into how to grow whole-cut meats, and a vision to eliminate factory farming. Having proved the viability and consumer demand for our flagship MyBacon product, now is the optimal time to bring on an experienced industry leader as we move to commercial scale,” said Bayer, MyForest Foods’ co-founder. “I’m thrilled to bring Greg on board and leverage his savvy marketing and consumer packaged goods experience. With his expertise, our team will expand access to our delicious MyBacon, launch new whole cuts, and create a healthier, tastier, more sustainable world.”
Shewchuk most recently served as CEO of the food allergy prevention company SpoonfulONE, which Nestlé acquired in late 2022. He is an active member of the Board of Advisors for Gemic, a global growth strategy firm, in a position he has held since 2019. Shewchuk previously held senior leadership positions at Campbell Soup Company, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Mondelēz International, Cadburys Schweppes PLC, and Unilever.
“MyForest Foods has impressed me with its high-quality, delicious meatless products that support consumers’ desire for more eco-conscious food choices. There’s a reason why MyBacon was recognized by TIME and Fast Company as one of the most innovative food inventions on the market today,” said Shewchuk. “With this new funding and renewed commitment from our investors, my goal is to double down on our marketing and sales functions to take the MyForest Foods brand to the next level.”
The demand for MyForest Foods’ unique mycelium-based offerings is driven by consumer satisfaction with its tasty products and eco-friendly mission. MyBacon’s production process uses a fraction of the land, water, and carbon required for conventional pork production. The application of AirMycelium farming technology produces a plant-based whole-cut product, filling a significant market gap and bolstering a new industry category. MyForest Foods’ state-of-the-art mycelium farm, Swersey Silos, has rapidly scaled production since opening its doors in July 2022. The team is also in the process of launching a second farm in Canada with Whitecrest Mushrooms Ltd.
MyForest Foods is an American food technology company spun out of Ecovative in 2020. MyForest Foods’ proprietary platform uses a natural super-ingredient called mycelium to grow nutrient-rich fibers that replicate the textures and mouthfeel of meat. MyForest Foods is a consumer packaged goods food brand selling MyBacon in 100+ New York and New England retailers with more widespread availability expected later in 2023.
For more news of interest to the food and beverage industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.
