“Got Milk?”
“Pork. The Other White Meat”
“Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner”
You may not eat these foods, but you probably are familiar with one or all of these very famous slogans.
The organic industry is now attempting to have its own tagline embedded into the minds of consumers, with Organic Voices having just launched its “Skip the Chemicals and Just Go With Organic” campaign.
As part of this campaign, “The World’s Most Skippable Ad” is a 30-minute video featuring two parents washing dishes while literally singing the names of the more than 700 chemicals allowed in conventional farming and food manufacturing.
There is also a series of other creative ads and content targeting a broad spectrum of Americans, along with a website which consumers should also skip scrolling through.
While Organic Voices considered many possible ad campaigns, one that focused on chemicals ended up being chosen. This makes sense, especially considering that surveys show that the primary motivation for people to eat organic is because of their desire to avoid toxic pesticides.
“This took hundreds of hours of consumer research, and we were able to pool insights across the many different sectors of our industry. What we came up with is a simple message but one that is completely defensible. No one can challenge the fact that these 700 chemicals are prohibited in organic,” Gary Hirshberg, Co-Founder of Stonyfield Organic and Chairman of Organic Voices, told Organic Insider.
Backed by 100 companies and organizations including Amy’s Kitchen, Applegate, Organic Valley, Lundberg Family Farms, Stonyfield Organic, The Organic Trade Association and Environmental Working Group, Organic Voices has received committed funds of $1M per year over the next two years.
Given that this budget is a small fraction of what the beef or milk industries were able to spend, the success of this campaign may ultimately come down to the participation of organic brands, not only in their continued financial contributions but in how much they share the content online.
If hundreds of brands and influencers commit to sharing this content continually on social media — which does not cost anything, only time — it could amass billions of impressions.
And while it will be hard to determine the exact impact of this advertising campaign, Gary Hirshberg has a few things in mind.
“As a 40-year marketer, I have learned that consumers need to hear a message four to five times before they retain it or act on it. So, for me to measure success, consumers need to be able to repeat the message about skipping the chemicals,” he said.
Aside from anecdotal evidence, Gary Hirshberg also has a specific number that he is targeting.
“The dream is to get our industry to a double-digit percentage (up from the 5.7% it is today). I have always viewed 10% as the starting point, and this is the kind of thing that can catapult it. What people need to understand is that our competitor is confusion, not conventional.”
At a time when organic rules are not being enforced, toxic pesticides are being allowed more than ever before and the USDA is contemplating allowing gene editing in organic, the organic community has no time to waste.
We need more organic consumers, and we need more people pressuring our elected officials in Washington, D.C. to advocate for organic.
It is now up to everyone to help spread the message of this campaign, and as we recently experienced with the impending changes to organic dairy rules, our voices can and do make a difference.
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To get involved:
– Share the video: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
– Access the full creative toolkit, including Instagram graphics
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With gratitude, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
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