In a lead as much as World Vegan Day on November 1, French plant-based bacon model La Vie has coated the UK cities of London, Bristol, and Brighton with 2,000 pink billboards on bus shelters and subway and practice stations. The billboards purpose to humorously promote the brand new vegan bacon model to Brits.
The billboards embody phrases reminiscent of “Britain’s latest finest faker. Sorry Boris,” and “Positive, our mother and father received the property growth, however we’ve received vegan bacon that tastes like bacon.” The advertising and marketing marketing campaign comes simply because the model is being positioned on retail cabinets within the nation.
“With these adverts we’re spreading our mission, the one which drives us: that will help you swap to a extra plant-based food regimen, one which’s higher for the animals, higher for the planet, and higher for you,” La Vie says in regards to the marketing campaign. “All of this whereas having an enormous smile in your face as a result of the bacon is award-winningly scrumptious and since hopefully our adverts will make you giggle in your approach to work.”
Vegan bacon involves Burger King
The model’s marketing campaign helps to set itself aside from conventional promoting rivals by embracing controversy and discovering humorous methods to attach with customers, whether or not they’re vegan or not. And La Vie seems to know learn how to get consideration.
Burger King
Earlier this 12 months, the model engaged in a week-long marketing campaign to induce Burger King so as to add its vegan bacon to the Veggie Steakhouse, a plant-based remake of the chain’s meaty menu merchandise.
It began when a Burger King buyer named Julien observed that the Veggie Steakhouse didn’t mimic the unique by leaving off bacon fully. “Sorry guys, I’m ready for the Veggie Steakhouse with La Vie bacon,” he tweeted. La Vie responded with a intelligent marketing campaign to persuade Burger King so as to add its vegan bacon which included taking out a full-page advert in Paris newspaper Le Parisien to deliver consideration to this situation.
Along with the advert, La Vie despatched out its “Love Truck” to the Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt space the place Burger King clients might deliver their Veggie Steakhouse burgers to be doctored up with vegan bacon. After the marketing campaign, Burger King obliged, saying it could add La Vie’s vegan bacon to its 550 places throughout France.
La Vie
However Burger King didn’t cease there. With a rising variety of plant-based Burger King pop-ups opening around the globe, the chain not too long ago popped up in Bristol to serve 24 plant-based variations of traditional menu objects, together with a Bakon King made with La Vie vegan bacon, till November 6.
Vegan bacon continues to be bacon
The Parisian startup is working exhausting to make a constructive affect on customers’ consuming habits by encouraging them to interchange animal-based bacon with plant-based bacon, however it hasn’t been with out wrestle.
The French authorities—with the backing of native farmers and the nation’s meat business—is trying to implement a labeling ban on the usage of meaty phrases reminiscent of “burger,” “bacon,” and “sausage” within the advertising and marketing of vegan merchandise.
Lately, after being accused of being “unfair competitors” by a French pork foyer, La Vie tried to struggle again with a cheeky social media marketing campaign. “The pork foyer has put us on discover for ‘unfair competitors,’ as a result of our vegetable lardons completely reproduce the ‘genuine’ pork lardons. Sure, they do. The nicest praise on the planet, with an acknowledgement of receipt as a bonus,” La Vie posted on its social media channels.
The model went a step additional by taking out an advert in Le Parisien to inform customers.
“The pork foyer is attacking us as a result of our veggie lardons are indistinguishable from pork lardons.” It continues: “Assist us defend ourselves, by sending them this letter.”
Beneath a dotted line is a letter addressed to the pork foyer that reads: “Expensive pork foyer: Thanks for the praise. We expect that your pork lardons are indistinguishable from our veggie lardons. Would you thoughts altering your recipe? Thanks.”
La Vie expands throughout Europe
La Vie first launched in France in 2021 following three years of analysis and improvement and greater than 5,000 recipe trials. Since then, the model has not solely received over distributors and restaurateurs, but in addition A-list celebrities reminiscent of Natalie Portman, who threw her help behind La Vie as an investor.
La Vie
Earlier this 12 months, La Vie raised €20 million ($21 million) in a funding spherical that it’s utilizing to increase its European distribution. At present, customers can discover La Vie bacon and different merchandise throughout the UK in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Entire Meals Market, and Planet Natural, together with a number of restaurant chains.
On the similar time, La Vie is making its approach to the cabinets of French grocery store chains in addition to different European international locations just like the Netherlands and Switzerland.
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Nicole Axworthy is the Information Editor at VegNews and writer of the cookbook DIY Vegan.
