La Vie has launched an “industry-first” collaboration, inviting other vegan brands to reuse its latest advertising format, product-swapped, with an animal of their choice.
The move challenged “competitive norms and united brands around a shared mission: animal welfare and better food choices”, La Vie said.
It follows the recent unveiling of a TV ad by the French meat-free brand starring rescue pig Léon and a “similarly bold” commercial by Beyond Meat with a cow called Barbara – which initially prompted a spoof copycat spat between the pair as an April Fool’s stunt earlier this month.
Both ads showed the animals watching a man preparing and then eating what appears to be meat, before a tagline reassuring the audience the products were plant-based.
La Vie is now inviting fellow vegan brands, with relevant tweaks, to reuse the concept behind its “relax, it’s plant-based” ad push, with the likes of This, Juicy Marbles and Heura “already engaged with the campaign”, and more ad spots due to follow in the coming weeks.
“Each will be invited to reinterpret the ad through their own creative lens – building a movement rooted in diversity, solidarity, and a bit of mischief,” said La Vie, which has published a tongue-in-cheek ‘copyright waiver thingy’ on its social media channels and website, allowing its creative to be reused.
“The campaign is both a creative provocation and a powerful demonstration of what cross-brand collaboration can look like in a category under pressure,” the brand said, citing the recent challenges faced by a category that has seen a slump in sales in recent years.
“It positions La Vie not only as a leader in marketing ingenuity, but as a brand committed to reshaping the rules of competition.”
The ad campaign “was never meant to stay ours” and was about a “shared message and common purpose”, said La Vie’s chief marketing officer Romain Jolivet.
“It’s a visual that makes people stop, smile, and think. When we saw Beyond Meat had been playing with the same idea, we realised something bigger was happening – and we had the opportunity to turn it into a movement,” he added.
“Our collaboration with La Vie underscores our shared commitment to animal welfare and making better food choices,” said Beyond Meat general manager for EMEA Rob Bennett.
“By combining our great-tasting plant-based burger with their innovative plant-based bacon, we’re offering consumers a delicious meal that aligns with their values.”
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