I’ve been looking back over the last 2 years and was getting increasingly frustrated over the lack of hedonism shown in marketing around various lockdowns and restrictions. They all seemed to focus on unity and mucking through which, while reflecting an overall sentiment, ignores those little moments of joy that kept us going.
But it turns out, there was a campaign last year that really bought into those moments of joy: "Give it Some" by Gousto & Mother
What is the Campaign?
Gousto is a fast-growing recipe box company who have seen their business skyrocket in 2020 (for obvious reasons), so in 2021 the brand was looking for ways to capitalise on that growth by building more of an identifiable brand image. They partnered with Mother for the first time to produce “Give it Some” – a campaign that aimed to reflect the burst of energy that cooking and preparing meals can provide. They stayed true to what had given their business their 2020 boost – staying in home kitchens with small numbers of people – but made sure to show a joyful, energetic, and creative environment. It’s not sincere, but rather loud, brash, and purely hedonistic.
Follow this link to watch the ad for yourself… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpfo-PWQVNc&t=53s
What values does this campaign enable?
Displaying the pure joy of cooking is the campaign’s goal. The dance music, movement, colourful dishes and smiley chefs all create a sense of entertainment when cooking – it’s not “making do” like a lot of other ads that play off lockdown, and it’s not about convenience which a lot of recipe boxes revert to. Instead, they are focusing on the cooks themselves. The kitchen is not often a place of hedonism, either – it’s enjoyable and creative but rarely given the image of joy that it can evoke. It’s a reason I particularly enjoyed this one, especially after countless “let’s get through this” examples.
Meanwhile, the ad still retains the essence of what it is to cook – it’s a creation. The colours of the food, the different ways of cooking it shows off, and even the different reasons (cooking for housemates vs. cooking for children) – it all allows for some level of creativity. I feel that recipe boxes are a way to “fast-track” creativity by removing some of the initial stress of what to eat, so it’s always important for them to display it in their comms, otherwise it loses that joy and self-direction that make it so attractive.
Speak soon,
George (Research Manager, OMTM)
