Functional food ad dispels myths

In a recent interview with UK newspaper the Times, Simon Clarkson, Radio Times's marketing director, explained why he likes the current ads for Benecol's cholesterol-reducing products.

Johnson & Johnson's Benecol appointed a new agency last year to broaden the brand's appeal and "position" it as an expert in cholesterol reduction. The ads were also to focus on the products, which contain an ingredient that actively reduces cholesterol levels and includes margarine, yoghurt, cream cheese, milk and snack bars. The principal target audience is women over 45.

Previous ads were hosted by British TV personality Carol Vorderman and featured "testimonials" extolling Benecol's virtues. The first new-style commercials were shown last October and November and replaced Vorderman with Stefan, an over-zealous employee from Benecol's Finnish headquarters.

According to the Times article, in one of the two new adverts, a double-glazing salesman knocks on Stefan's door and gets more than he bargained for. He's halfway through line one of his spiel and Stefan's off - "the cold is no problem for me because I am coming from Finland, like Benecol spread..."​

He goes to get a tub and is surprised to find the salesman has hidden when he returns. The voiceover says: "At Benecol all we care about is reducing cholesterol. Which makes us great people to buy spreads from but terrible people to sell double glazing to."​

The article goes on to add that this campaign very subtly dispels the popular notion that so-called functional foods are a "bit nerdy" and do not taste very nice.

The story claims that while most health food ads bombard you with facts or try to scare you into eating their products, these recognise that people already know they need to eat better but aren't prepared to give up one of their biggest pleasures - a nice meal.

But rather than say "this food tastes fantastic", which no one would believe, the campaign convinces us you can eat it without turning into a "nerd" and, because normal people eat normal things, without sacrificing the pleasure of food either.

By becoming the health food fanatic Benecol acknowledges prevailing stereotypes and reassures us that they do not apply to us by contrasting Stefan with the ordinary people in the ad (you and I) who have a much more casual attitude to the products.

Benecol used the agencies Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and Initiative Media.