A lack of salience in frozen food means consumer purchase behaviour drifts to chilled, limiting volume and value growth.  Yet, frozen offers a genuine solution to many of the issues concerning consumers today

Our digital campaign, for the British Frozen food Federation (the frozen industry body), set out to inspire consumers and chefs to re-evaluate the significance of frozen, by aiming to reach half of all female shoppers aged 25-36 in the UK and expose them to key frozen benefits through hero product communications, whilst also targeting ‘younger’ chefs with key frozen benefits through hero ingredients.  

Messaging and approach in this campaign was critical, as we know that with a little knowledge shoppers and chefs ‘get’ the advantages of frozen food but, typically, frozen messaging has typically communicated rational and functional benefits, such as great value for money and convenience.

But, because emotional messaging tends to be more persuasive than logical messaging, we set out to shift the messaging to a more emotional platform, using the power of surprise and the unexpected to cut through and build interest and reappraisal of the category.

So, the campaign highlights the surprise of frozen; building emotional appeal and interest in frozen by showcasing innovative and unexpected ingredients found in the freezer aisle, whilst also emphasising the brilliant quality and also frozen being part of the solution on food waste.

‘Fresh from the Freezer’ campaign
The Fresh from the Freezer campaign is a digital strategy and plan to reinvigorate the frozen category by changing perception and driving emotional connection and the aim of the campaign was to improve the perception of frozen food with consumers and chefs. 

The campaign targeted younger consumers and chefs, who are less likely to be ‘set in their ways’ and therefore more likely to be receptive to our new frozen story.  

We know that our target consumers and chefs are very active on social media, so we created a digital campaign that changes perception through driving appeal and driving emotional connections, inspiring consumers and chefs to re-evaluate the significance of frozen.

The consumer campaign was delivered through a series of six short 30 second films showcasing amazing-looking, surprising, show-stopping food and recipes that are made ‘Fresh From the Freezer’.  

The recipes each had a seasonal twist, from premium, frozen Christmas dinner, to Valentine’s steak and lobster and healthier January smoothies. Each film showcased stunning looking, unexpected and appetising food and recipes that surprise by being made ‘Fresh From The Freezer’ – smashing the myth that frozen is inferior in quality and appeal to fresh.

The stories were delivered with a twist: each video starts with the finished dish, then plays backwards, deconstructing the dish and finishing by landing on shots of the frozen ingredients, which then morph into the freezer.

Supporting the delicious recipes and surprising ingredients, rational messages were woven into each video to highlight the simplicity, ease, convenience, and wider benefits of frozen.

FOODSERVICE PLAN
We mirrored the consumer approach in foodservice, but increased our credibility with this audience with a partnership with the Staff Canteen and their 65,000 members and 100,000 youTube subscribers. Working with their development chef, the campaign created three thematic chef recipes; showstopping Desserts, meat-free alternatives and frozen shortcuts / premium bread.  The foodservice films were amplified over three months via ‘The Staff Canteen’ partnership & targeted video advertising on Twitter.

The campaign set out reach half of younger female UK shoppers and chefs to improve their perception of frozen food.  Using hero products and ingredients brought to life as short video recipes with innovative and exciting creative treatment.

The consumer campaign was amplified over six months via targeted Facebook & YouTube video advertising.  The campaign over achieved its objectives, reaching 2.5 million consumers on Facebook and 1.7 million views on YouTube, with the foodservice content reaching chefs 1.5 million times and the foodservice films viewed over 40,000 times.

The consumer campaign reached 2.5 million unique consumers 2.9 times via Facebook, and YouTube delivered a further 1.7 million views.  These results were impressive, with Facebook 123% ahead and YouTube +101% ahead of their targets.

Engagement with the YouTube content was particularly high, with 45% of consumers watching the films through to the end.