Kevin Hart always thought he needed to eat meat to be strong and get swole, but he’s learned differently. Plus he’s seen diabetes, heart attacks and strokes among his family members caused by their unhealthy eating habits, which made him rethink his own diet.
Hart, showing a contemplative side that fans don’t often see, is one of several celebrities starring in a new video series launched this week by Beyond Meat.
The actor-comedian feels “more active, not as sluggish” from eating plant-based products, though it took time to make the switch. “It’s not something you knock out of the park at the beginning,” he says. “It’s not something you need to do all in one day.”
The testimonial-style original content, shot pre-pandemic, features a number of brand evangelists, including Snoop Dogg, Nikki Bella, Chris Paul and Liza Koshy driving home the better-for-you and better-for-the-environment messages that Beyond is pushing to the forefront during the coronavirus crisis.
“This is a moment,” says Beyond CMO Stuart Kronauge, “and we want to be a part of the solution.”
The plant-based protein marketer, along with competitors like Impossible Foods, are taking advantage of their triple-digit sales spikes since quarantine began, hoping to keep the momentum going by accelerating distribution and stepping up consumer outreach, among other tactics.
These brands are uniquely positioned at a time when the conventional meat industry struggles with slaughterhouse closures and Covid-19 outbreaks. The fallout of the supply-chain disruption continues (including higher beef prices and grocery store rationing), as does the intense media scrutiny of factory conditions and animal treatment.
Against this backdrop, Los Angeles-based Beyond launched a 90-second hero spot and shorter vignettes with the WWE’s Bella touting the ready availability and convenience of plant-based food, plus TV host-YouTuber Koshy noting that such products require less water and energy to manufacture and cause fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Snoop Dogg, a Beyond investor, frequent pitchman and undercover Dunkin employee, also keeps it serious by pointing out how impactful it can be to eat plant-based protein, with Koshy adding that the “little choices you make everyday” like having a plant-based snack or breakfast “can make a huge difference.”
The videos, dubbed “Why Go Beyond,” are the newest phase of the brand’s continuing “Go Beyond” campaign that features professional athletes, foodies and financial backers. The stripped-down approach was intentional and, for stars like Snoop and Hart, aimed to give “a glimpse into those personal journeys that they have not shared in the past,” Kronauge says.
“Why Go Beyond” follows Beyond’s Feed A Million+ charitable program that has donated food to frontline workers, first responders and local communities over the past few months.
