Chobani Embraces LGBT Acceptance With New Spot

Chobani is embracing natural ingredients and a simplistic lifestyle in its final spot for the "To Love This Life is to Live Naturally" campaign, which airs today. The commercial highlights a social issue that aligns with the yogurt company's core foundations of equality and acceptance. It opens with a same-sex couple waking up and starting their day with Chobani Simply 100. "We've been an inclusive brand from the beginning and equal rights has been fundamental and foundational for this brand," said Peter McGuinness, chief marketing and brand officer of Chobani. "The founding mission of Chobani was better food for more people. Good food shouldn't be a privilege, it should be a right, and we want to make it available to all." The $15 million "Love This Life" campaign, which was launched in May, comes from Opermann Weiss and focuses on telling the modern American story by emphasizing the role Chobani plays within people's lives. While only starting to manufacture Greek yogurt eight years ago in 2007, the company is seen as a leader in the industry. Currently, Chobani is the fifth most popular yogurt brand worldwide, and continues to grow double digits, holding 2.4% of the market share according to Euromonitor. Being different, through advertising and product, is one reason Mr. McGuinness thinks the brand is flourishing. "As the leader of the category it's our role and responsibility to grow the category and inspire the category and be different," Mr. McGuinness said. "We don't want to do taste-offs and comparison ads, we don't want to take the typical approach." Seth Adam, the director-communications for GLAAD, thinks that showcasing LGBT acceptance is becoming increasingly important for brands. "More and more companies are beginning to realize that supporting equality doesn't stop at having inclusive workplace polices. Supporting equality also means being inclusive in your advertising and marketing and your outreach to your community and customers," Mr. Adam said. "I think that's what you're seeing here is Chobani taking that next step and saying 'We support acceptance and equality and this is what that looks like.'" Last year, the brand spent $55.9 million in measured media in the U.S. according to Kantar Media. The "Love This Life" campaign will run through September, and includes a print and social media campaign as well as new product labels.

Chobani Embraces LGBT Acceptance With New Spot

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