Why Oikos emphasizes strength, not smiles, in its yogurt ads

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! The healthy eating megatrend has helped to grow yogurt into a $7.25 billion industry in the U.S., but there’s plenty of room still to power up. Danone’s Greek-style Oikos brand is now pushing its Oikos Triple Zero and Oikos Pro varieties with a campaign featuring the former NFL star Deion Sanders and his son, the up-and-coming college quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The father and son perform a series of household chores as feats of strength, tying a link between human performance and yogurt. The lighthearted spot purposefully steers clear of yogurt ad conventions while highlighting the protein-packed food and fitness, said Surbhi Martin, VP of Greek yogurt and functional nutrition at Danone. The campaign, which debuted during the Super Bowl livestream on Peacock, also includes a novel limited-edition "Strong bowl" package—a 15-pound yogurt cup that doubles as a dumbbell. Creative agency Lightning Orchard was behind the campaign. “We decided we were going to challenge the norms of boring yogurt marketing and really bring some excitement back the yogurt aisle,” Martin said on the latest episode of the Marketer's Brief podcast. “So, no more women doing the bite-and-smile while eating their yogurt. And we decided that Oikos, with its heritage and brand DNA of having a playful, and slightly disruptive persona, had the right to be that one brand in the category that could break the norm.” Oikos, which competes with Chobani and other Greek-style yogurt brands, has previously used the Super Bowl livestream to promote sport-focused campaigns. On the podcast, Martin also shares thoughts on the issues capturing her attention, from customers’ emotional states to coming to understand how the supply chain can impact the effectiveness of marketing. “Being a challenger brand in this space has not come without me feeling sometimes that my job may be at stake, quite frankly. I feel like I have to be brave and take risks. And so I would encourage people to push the envelope and challenge the status quo. And if you aren’t a little scared, you aren’t doing it right.” Hear more from Martin in the podcast linked above. Get your ticket for the April 5 Ad Age Next: Retail event at AdAge.com/NextRetail.

Why Oikos emphasizes strength, not smiles, in its yogurt ads

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