TBWA’s Three-Axis Disruption Model: Plant-Based Category Innovation
Applying TBWA’s Three-Axis Disruption Model to the plant-based food category can reveal new insights about how to communicate benefits in a fresh way. We examine the Conventions (unwritten rules) of meat and dairy marketing, propose Assumption Inversions (violating category norms to stand out), and explore Legacy Hijacking (repurposing traditional icons with a twist).
1. Convention Mapping: Unwritten Rules of Meat & Dairy Marketing
Traditional meat and dairy brands have spent decades crafting a powerful visual and cultural language. Through semiotic analysis of competitor packaging, branding, and advertising, we identified key “unwritten rules” – the dominant themes and cues that define conventional meat/dairy communication. Below, we document at least 50 such conventions, grouped by theme:
a. “Natural” & Farm Fresh Imagery – Invoking nature to imply purity and sustainability.
Pastoral Scenes & Happy Animals: Packaging often shows cows grazing on green pastures, red barns, rolling hills, or cartoon farm animals to suggest wholesome, humane origins. The industry frequently uses imagery of “happy” livestock and unspoiled countryside to ease consumers’ minds.
Green Color Coding: Many meat and dairy labels use green accents, leaves, and eco-friendly symbols to greenwash the product as sustainable. This subtle cue implies that the product is “part of the climate solution” rather than a problem.
Buzzwords like “Grass-Fed” and “Farm-Fresh”: Labels touting “grass-fed,” “organic,” “all-natural,” or “farm fresh” abound. These phrases are unwritten rules of premium meat marketing, evoking a rustic purity that differentiates their product as healthier or more ethical (even if actual practices vary).
Heritage Breeds & Local Origin: Brands often highlight specifics like “Angus beef,” “Wagyu,” “Jersey milk,” or a local farm name. This convention leverages tradition and provenance – implying higher quality or authenticity due to breed or origin.
Clean Label Claims: Unwritten rule – list what the product doesn’t have. Meat and dairy packaging proudly states “No hormones, No antibiotics, 0g trans fat.” This communicates a natural purity and safety to reassure consumers who are health-conscious.
b. Health & Nutrition Emphasis – Positioning animal products as essential for well-being.
Protein = Strength Messaging: A foundational rule is framing meat as a “powerful protein” source vital to health. Packaging often declares high protein content in bold (“20g Protein!”) ( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ). Meat industry ads reinforce the myth that you need meat protein to be healthy, implying that without animal protein one might lack strength or nutrition ( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ).
“Milk for Strong Bones”: Dairy marketing relentlessly touts calcium and vitamins (think “Milk: It Does a Body Good” campaigns). Cartons and ads list nutrients (Calcium D, Vitamin D) to cement milk’s image as indispensable for children’s growth and bone health.
Fit Bodies and Athletes: It’s an unwritten norm to use athletic or healthy imagery – e.g. a farmer carrying milk jugs with bulging biceps, or a fit mom serving yogurt after a workout. These visuals claim that meat and dairy make you strong, athletic, and energised ( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ). Chocolate milk ads showing sports recovery or beef commercials with athletes underscore this health halo.
Lean and Light Variants: The industry also markets “lighter” options (skim milk, lean cuts, low-fat turkey, etc.) for the health-conscious. Packaging for these uses whites, blues, or pastel colors to signify lightness. The absence of negatives is highlighted (e.g. “98% fat-free” cold cuts) to convince consumers that these animal products can be part of a healthy diet.
Medical Endorsements: Another convention: citing or implying approval by health experts (e.g. “Recommended by pediatricians” for milk, or heart-check logos on lean beef). By borrowing the authority of science, meat/dairy brands strengthen the perception that their products are not only safe but necessary for health.
c. Masculinity & Strength (“Real Men Eat Meat”) – Gendered messaging making meat a symbol of manhood.
The Backyard BBQ King: Advertising overwhelmingly depicts men as the grill-masters and primary meat-eaters. A common trope is the dad or male hero figure flipping burgers or slicing a steak, reinforcing that cooking meat is a manly skill. This unwritten rule ties meat to traditional male roles (provider, hunter, chef of the grill).
Fire, Iron, and Fury: Visual semiotics skew “hard” and aggressive for meat aimed at men – fire and smoke on packaging, sizzling sounds in commercials, images of knives, cleavers, and iron skillets. Even color schemes play into this: heavy use of black, red, and bold typography suggest power and primal intensity.
Portion Size and Excess: Conventions dictate that marketing to men features oversized portions – the triple burger, the giant T-bone, the all-you-can-eat ribs. The implication is that a real man has a big appetite, and meat satisfies it. Ads like Carl’s Jr.’s famously showed enormous burgers being devoured lustily, equating meat-eating with virility and indulgence.
Sexualized & Macho Tone: Some campaigns use sexual innuendo or objectification to make meat sexy to men. For example, commercials in the 2000s showed bikini-clad women eating burgers – effectively saying meat makes you virile. Humor is also used (often mocking salad or vegetarians as unmanly). This all plays into the stereotype that red meat = masculinity ( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ).
Ridiculing “Weak” Alternatives: A harsher unwritten rule is to depict anything vegetarian as effeminate or inadequate. In the past, ads have portrayed vegetable-based foods as something no “real man” would choose. This trope, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, solidifies the “real men eat meat, not rabbit food” narrative. (E.g. fast-food ads where a man’s burger is replaced with tofu as a punchline.)
d. Femininity, Caregiving & “Good Mother” Imagery – Gendered messaging casting women as nurturers through animal products.
Moms Serving Meals: Meat and dairy ads frequently show women (especially mothers) preparing or serving the food to husband and kids. The unwritten rule: a “good woman” feeds her family meat. A classic print ad might depict a mother slicing roast beef at Sunday dinner, or pouring milk for children at breakfast – implying love and proper care are demonstrated by serving animal protein.
Women Consuming Lightly: Interestingly, ads seldom show women indulging in huge slabs of meat. Instead, women in meat commercials are often depicted nibbling a salad alongside the steak, or choosing chicken/fish (positioned as lighter). This reflects a convention that women should eat delicately and prefer lean meats – tying into societal expectations about femininity and diet.
Meat and Motherhood: Some marketing even targets pregnant women with the idea that meat is needed to nurture a healthy baby. This plays on maternal instincts – e.g. suggesting a mother who drinks milk or eats steak is ensuring her child is strong. In these ads the woman’s role is the vessel of life, and animal products are portrayed as critical fuel for that life (reinforcing both the “meat is good for you” and “good mom” myths).
Domestic Bliss Theme: Dairy commercials especially love scenes of family harmony around food. A typical convention: a mother brings out ice cream or mac ‘n cheese and the family joyfully gathers. The subtext – serving dairy = love and creating happy family moments. Women are cast as the providers of this comfort, linking dairy to emotional care.
Feminine Design Cues: When targeting women directly (e.g. for products like yogurt, low-fat cheese, or milk drinks), the branding softens. Packages use lighter colors (white, pastel, pink) and elegant fonts. The atmosphere in ads is brighter, gentler (sunlit kitchens, calm music). This unwritten aesthetic rule aims to make the product feel “lighter” and more aligned with women’s health and beauty expectations.
e. Tradition, Heritage & Patriotism – Linking products to cultural identity, patriotism, and legacy.
“Patriotic Plate” Messaging: The meat industry often wraps itself in the flag – literally and figuratively. It’s an unwritten rule to associate eating meat with patriotism and national pride. U.S. beef commercials, for instance, invoke Americana (cowboys, country music, Fourth of July barbecues) to say beef is American. In Europe, pork might be tied to national cuisine heritage. The theme: eating local meat is a patriotic act.
Family Tradition and Ancestry: Ads frequently mention that recipes or farming practices have been passed down for generations. Phrases like “Since 1910”, “four generations of butchers”, or “family farm tradition” are common. This convention positions meat/dairy as not just food, but a continuation of cultural legacy and family values. For example, a dairy brand might show a multi-generational farm family to inspire trust and nostalgia.
Holiday and Ritual: Meat is often the hero of holiday meals – turkey at Thanksgiving, ham at Easter, roast at Christmas. Marketing leans into this heavily. The unwritten rule: emphasize that meat/dairy are integral to beloved cultural rituals. Campaigns remind consumers that “no Thanksgiving is complete without turkey,” etc., reinforcing consumption through tradition.
Regional Pride: Brands play up regional specialties (Wisconsin cheese, Texas beef, Italian prosciutto). By linking to a place famed for that product, they tap into local pride and authenticity. It’s understood that consumers respond to cues like appellations (Parmesan Reggiano, Vermont cheddar) as a sign of quality and cultural importance.
Military & Strength Associations: A subtle patriotic angle: sometimes meat ads reference supporting troops or historical strength. For instance, vintage posters or statements like “Beef – helps build strong soldiers” appeared in wartime eras. Modern ads might not go that far, but the industry has used patriotism (supporting American ranchers, feeding the nation) as a persuasive tool.
f. Community & Social Bonding – Framing animal-based meals as the glue of social life.
Gathering around the Grill: A standard visual in meat advertising is people coming together at a barbecue. The myth that “meat brings people together” is a deeply ingrained convention. Ads show friends at a cookout, dad grilling burgers for the neighborhood, or a tailgate party with everyone sharing ribs and laughs. The message: meat is the center of social camaraderie.
Family Dinner Table: Many dairy ads focus on the family table (e.g. everyone sitting down to dinner with a roast chicken, or kids around the breakfast table with milk and cereal). The unwritten rule is portraying animal products as the heart of familial and social connection. The subtext: “good food (meat/dairy) = quality time and love.”
Celebration Foods: Champagne for toasts, cake for birthdays… and meat for celebrations. Marketers position steaks or specialty meats as reward foods for special occasions (graduation grill-outs, holiday feasts). Cheese and charcuterie are shown at dinner parties and wine nights. These cues tell consumers that having meat or dairy elevates a gathering into a true celebration.
Universality (Something for Everyone): Meat/dairy advertising likes to suggest their products are beloved by all ages and types, uniting people. A commercial might show three generations enjoying ice cream together, or a diverse group of friends each finding joy in a pepperoni pizza. This convention pushes the idea that animal-based foods are a universal language of enjoyment and togetherness.
Nostalgic Bonding: Often the imagery evokes nostalgia – dads and sons fishing then cooking their catch, or grandma teaching a recipe with butter. These sentimental narratives tie meat and dairy to fond memories and emotional bonds, reinforcing their place in cultural life.
g. Freedom, Choice & Rebellion – Portraying meat-eating as an expression of personal freedom.
“Don’t Tread on My Steak” Attitude: A newer angle in industry messaging is framing dietary choice as freedom. The unwritten rule here: counter rising vegan discourse by asserting “eating meat is about freedom and choice”. Marketing and PR sometimes cast meat-eaters as independent spirits who won’t be “told what to eat” by others. This positions plant-based advocacy as oppressive, and meat as the liberating option.
Rugged Individualism: We see ads with solitary figures like a cowboy or hunter cooking meat over a campfire – tying into the idea of self-sufficiency and freedom. The convention borrows from frontier mythology: the free man out on the range, sustained by his kill. It says meat = independence.
Anti-elitism Themes: Some campaigns implicitly push back on the idea of “fancy” plant foods or diets. Fast-food chains have used taglines like “Eat like you mean it” or “You got to eat”, suggesting that choosing a big meaty burger is a no-nonsense, everyman decision – a small rebellion against health fads or political correctness.
Choice Abundance: Meat ads also highlight variety and limitless choice (all the cuts, all the recipes you can enjoy). This variety messaging supports the notion of absolute freedom to indulge any craving with meat. By contrast, they might imply vegetarian diets are restrictive.
Rebellious Humor: When confronting critiques (health, ethics), the industry sometimes uses edgy humor to say “we’ll eat what we want.” For example, a pro-meat billboard might joke about salad being rabbit food. This tongue-in-cheek defiance is an unwritten tactic to make meat-eating feel like sticking it to the “food police,” thereby appealing to consumers’ sense of autonomy.
h. Flavor, Indulgence & Sensory Appeal – Making the mouth water with decadent imagery.
Juicy Close-Ups: A core convention of meat advertising is the extreme close-up shot: a glistening steak with char marks, juice dripping, or cheese melting over a burger. These sensory images are so standard that failing to include them is almost unheard of. The unwritten rule: make viewers practically taste it through the screen.
Descriptive Language: Meat and dairy brands load their copy with appetitive adjectives – “juicy, tender, slow-smoked, creamy, rich, buttery”. This language is a key tool to trigger cravings. Even packaging uses descriptors like “velvety smooth yogurt” or “bold, smoky BBQ ribs.”
Sound Cues: Sizzle sounds in steak commercials, a crunch sound when someone bites fried chicken – advertising leverages audio semiotics too. The crack of an egg or the fizz on a grill are subtle conventions to engage senses beyond the visual.
Serving Suggestions: It’s an unwritten rule that packaging for meats shows the product cooked and plated with garnishes (e.g. a steak next to vibrant vegetables, or a roast chicken surrounded by rosemary). This not only provides an idea for usage but also always depicts the most appetizing state – golden brown, steaming, ready to eat.
Indulgence & Treat Yourself: Dairy ads for ice cream, cheese, butter often frame them as an indulgence you deserve. One convention is to present these foods almost as luxuries (e.g. “treat yourself to the creamy bliss of real ice cream”). In doing so, they tap into the idea that animal-based treats are the ultimate comfort or reward.
i. Quality, Craft & Expertise – Signaling that meat/dairy products are premium and expertly made.
Butcher Imagery & Terminology: Many brands use butcher shop cues – rustic wood backgrounds, butcher’s knives in logos, or even a classic “cuts diagram” of a cow or pig. These lend an air of old-school craft. The unwritten rule: emphasize that real experts (butchers, cheesemakers) are behind this product, not factories.
Gold Medals and Seals: It’s common to see gold stickers or awards (e.g. “Winner of 2019 World Cheese Awards”) on dairy products, or “Certified Angus Beef” seals on meat. Even if consumers don’t know the specifics, these symbols subconsciously signal quality and authority.
Small-Batch & Artisanal Messaging: Phrases like “small batch,” “hand-crafted,” “slow-aged” are used to differentiate premium products. For instance, an aged cheddar might stress its 12-month aging and traditional methods. The convention here is to make mass-produced goods feel bespoke and special.
Chef Endorsements: Featuring famous chefs or cooking personalities praising the product is another convention. A steakhouse might advertise its use of “Chef so-and-so’s select cuts,” or a milk brand might have a chef’s recipe on the package. The authority of culinary experts adds credibility – an unwritten rule being association with culinary art = higher perceived quality.
Packaging Cues of Quality: High-end meats often use black packaging or butcher paper-style wraps, while premium dairy may come in glass bottles or foil wraps (e.g. fancy butter). The look and feel of the package – textured paper, classic fonts – all communicate that this isn’t cheap. It’s a quiet code that seasoned shoppers recognize as “this brand upholds quality traditions.”
( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ) Meat industry marketing leans on consistent visual tropes to “sell” its myths. The infographic above (Greenpeace, 2021) illustrates four common conventions: the “green” eco-friendly look (left) uses pastoral greens and claims like grass-fed to suggest sustainability, the “real man” appeal (center left) shows dominance and fire to equate meat with masculinity, the “health halo” (center right) labels meat as a protein necessity for family health, and the “good woman” trope (right) portrays women serving meat to fulfill caregiving roles ( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ). These are just a few of the unwritten rules ingrained in meat and dairy communications.
Understanding these category conventions is crucial for plant-based challengers. They reveal the emotional buttons the industry presses – from nostalgia and nationalism to gender identity and health anxieties. With at least 50 such rules mapped out above, we see how deeply meat and dairy messaging is woven into culture ( Meat marketing: We’re not loving it - Greenpeace International ). This map sets the stage for disruption: by knowing the rules, plant-based brands can decide which to subvert, parody, or avoid as they craft their own stories.
2. Assumption Inversion: Challenging Category Norms as “Heretics”
To disrupt the status quo, plant-based brands can become “category heretics” – intentionally violating norms and flipping assumptions. This means taking the entrenched ideas documented above and asking: What if the opposite were true? By inverting assumptions, challenger brands can stand out with a bold point of view. Below, we analyze key category norms and illustrate how some plant-based players have successfully turned them on their head:
a. Inverting the “Real Men Eat Meat” Myth:
Norm: Meat is manly; vegan food is for weaklings.
Heretical Flip: Plant-based can be macho and strong. Brands are disproving the old stereotype by showcasing powerful male figures thriving on plant diets. For example, the documentary “Game Changers” famously featured elite male athletes and even bodybuilder-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger mocking the idea that “Steak is for men”. This cultural moment, while not an ad, exemplified assumption inversion – it told men that real strength can come from plants. Plant-based brands have ridden this wave. Examples:
Vegan Athletes in Marketing: Companies like Beyond Meat have partnered with NFL stars and NBA players who tout plant protein for performance. An inversion of the norm, these campaigns show ripped, masculine athletes saying they fuel up with Beyond burgers, directly challenging the notion that masculinity requires meat.
Humor to Undercut Machismo: Some brands use humor to flip the script. UK brand THIS™ takes a cheeky approach – their ads and on-pack messages (“This isn’t bacon”) deliberately poke fun at macho meat posturing. They project a “rebellious but relatable” tone meant for meat-eaters. By not taking themselves too seriously, they avoid the preachy vegan image and instead make not eating meat seem cool and even a bit defiant (in a new way).
Inclusivity Over Exclusion: Rather than shaming men, successful inversion invites them in. For instance, marketing plant-based burgers at sports bars or during football games (as Impossible Foods has done) normalizes it. The subtle message: you can still be “one of the guys” and choose the Impossible patty. This inverts the assumption that choosing plant-based alienates men from their peers.
b. Inverting the “Good Moms Serve Meat” Norm:
Norm: A proper caregiver feeds animal products to the family.
Heretical Flip: Caring moms choose plant-based for health and ethics. This flips the script by suggesting the truly best way to nurture your family (and future) is to go plant-based. Opportunities and examples:
Highlighting Health Benefits: Plant-based milk brands are reframing the narrative by pointing out what their products lack (cholesterol, hormones) and what they provide (added calcium, vitamins). For a parent, the suggestion is “a good mom might pick oat milk because it’s actually healthier for her kids.” This directly inverts the dairy messaging of the past. (Notably, some oat and soy milks advertise having more calcium than cow’s milk – a sly way to challenge dairy’s nutritional claim).
Plant-Based Family Ads: We’re seeing marketing that depicts happy families drinking almond or oat milk and thriving on veggie meals. By showing dads, moms, and kids all enjoying plant-based foods together, brands invert the assumption that meat is needed for a satisfying family dinner. It normalizes vegan parenting. Example: Commercials for Silk soy milk in the past had kids confidently choosing soy over dairy, implicitly suggesting progressive parents raise open-minded, healthy kids.
Empowering Women Spokespeople: Some plant-based campaigns elevate female voices (nutritionists, moms, influencers) who advocate for vegan diets for their families. This turns the old “good woman” trope on its head – now the good woman is one who questions the old food system. For instance, the brand Oatly often communicates with a friendly, accessible tone that appeals to young parents, including moms who care about sustainability and health. They even ran a tongue-in-cheek “Ditch Milk” campaign, which in effect told parents it’s okay – even virtuous – to stop serving cow’s milk.
c. Inverting the Health & Protein Assumptions:
Norm: You need meat for protein; dairy for calcium; plant-based is nutritionally inferior.
Heretical Flip: Plants are plenty healthy – maybe even healthier – and the “protein myth” is a lie. This inversion attacks one of Big Meat’s strongest messages head-on. Strategies and examples:
Expose the Protein Myth: Some disruptive messaging simply calls this out. For example, Greenpeace and others have labeled the “you need meat for protein” claim as a deception. A plant-based brand can seize this narrative by educating consumers (in a fun way) that plants pack protein too. Example: Beyond Meat printing comparisons on their website or retail materials showing equal protein to beef, but with no cholesterol, positions their product as the modern, smarter source of protein. It’s an implicit inversion: meat isn’t the only or best protein, look – we’ve matched it.
Leverage Science and Doctors: Just as dairy had milk mustaches with athletes, plant-based marketers are increasingly citing doctors and studies. A brand might highlight that the American Dietetic Association deems well-planned vegan diets healthy for all stages of life (a fact many consumers don’t know). By aligning with credible health authorities, they invert the assumption that their products are fringe or deficient.
Transparency and Clean Labels: Many plant-based foods intentionally keep short ingredient lists and tout the absence of antibiotics, hormones, etc., to flip the script that “real” meat is pure. For instance, JUST Egg (plant-based egg) emphasizes it has no cholesterol (since it’s made from mung beans). This confronts the egg industry’s health claims by turning a perceived lack (no animal ingredients) into a benefit.
Product Naming and Fortification: Interestingly, some brands invert assumptions by mimicking the nutritional context of the animal product. E.g., calling a pea protein drink “Plant Protein Milk” and fortifying it with calcium and vitamin D invites comparison to dairy on nutritional grounds. When consumers see equal or better nutrition stats, the assumption that dairy is necessary can start to crumble.
d. Inverting Taste and Indulgence Expectations:
Norm: Meat tastes better; vegan food is a sacrifice or lacks flavor.
Heretical Flip: Plant-based is just as delicious and decadent – maybe even more adventurous. This inversion is crucial because taste is king. Approaches include:
Blind Taste Test Proof: Some brands have orchestrated stunts where die-hard carnivores unknowingly eat plant-based and admit it’s tasty. For example, when Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper, they ran ads featuring customers surprised that what they ate contained no beef – shattering the assumption that only beef delivers that Whopper satisfaction. This “gotcha” marketing directly undermines preconceptions on taste.
Cuisine Creativity: Plant-based brands can showcase dishes that go beyond the boring steamed veggies stereotype – spicy jackfruit tacos, creamy cashew-milk gelato, etc. By marketing plant-based foods as a culinary adventure (rather than a limitation), they invert the idea that giving up meat/dairy means giving up enjoyment. Example: The brand Impossible Foods often shares chef recipes and highlights that their meatless ground “can do everything ground beef can do” and more – even tartare. This challenges the norm by saying, hey, we’re expanding the possibilities of your favorite foods.
Owning Indulgence: Some heretical brands don’t shy away from showing unhealthy treats – yes, you can be vegan and eat burgers and ice cream. This counters the notion that vegan is always health-focused or ascetic. Oatly, for instance, in its early Swedish campaigns, positioned its oat milk as something you could enjoy guilt-free in a cappuccino or a dessert, almost poking fun at the ultra-healthy image soy milk had. By embracing pleasure, plant-based brands tell consumers they won’t miss out.
Bold Flavor Branding: New vegan product brands often choose names that emphasize flavor or intensity (e.g. “Hungry Planet” burgers or “No Evil Foods” with products named El Zapatista for chorizo substitute). This theatrical branding takes the fight to meat’s home turf – passion and flavor – rather than positioning themselves in a bland, ascetic corner.
e. Inverting the “Patriotic/Natural” Imagery:
Norm: Meat and dairy are part of our heritage and identity (farms, country, tradition).
Heretical Flip: Suggest that sticking with old food norms is outdated, and embracing plant-based is the new patriotism or the new tradition. This is a challenging inversion but some tactics are emerging:
Reframe Sustainability as Patriotism: A bold approach is to argue that protecting your nation’s land, water, and climate by eating plant-based is an act of patriotism. For instance, a brand could highlight how much local water and soil pollution is tied to factory farming, then position choosing plant-based as supporting your country’s ecological future. While few ads have done this explicitly, it’s an available narrative that inverts the “red meat = red-blooded American” idea.
New Heritage and Futurism: Some plant-based companies lean into futurism – making meat from plants or fermentation is presented as innovative and forward-thinking. This indirectly inverts heritage by saying the future is moving beyond old animal agriculture. Example: Impossible Foods often talks about saving the earth and evolving food. Their very name “Impossible” suggests breaking the rules. By casting conventional meat as a thing of the past and their product as the future, they challenge the assumption that tradition should guide what we eat.
Local Farmer Inclusion: Interestingly, some plant-based brands partner with or highlight farmers too – but crop farmers. For example, a pea protein company might tell the story of the pea farmers in the American Midwest who benefit from the alt-protein boom. This steals a page from Big Meat’s playbook (which lauds ranchers) and inverts it: you can support farmers and heartland economies by buying plant-based. The Plant Based Foods Association has used such talking points, essentially reframing plant agriculture as the next chapter of our agricultural heritage.
f. Inverting Marketing Style and Tone:
Beyond specific message flips, plant-based heretics also violate stylistic norms of the food industry’s marketing:
Radical Transparency vs. Glossy Secrecy: Whereas big meat/dairy tend to hide unpleasant details (no ads talk about slaughter or lactose intolerance), some plant-based brands turn this on its head by being blunt and transparent. Example: When sued by the Swedish dairy lobby over its slogan, Oatly responded by publishing the legal documents in a whimsical way, essentially saying “look, Big Dairy is trying to stop us from telling the truth”. This candor and even self-deprecation (Oatly’s Super Bowl ad literally featured their CEO singing off-key) invert the polished, hyper-perfect norm of food advertising and make the brand more human and trustworthy (Oatly Billboards in Rotterdam and UK Reminds Consumers That Only Vegan Milk (Not Dairy) is Suitable for Humans).
Confrontation of Taboos: Traditional ads never mention animal cruelty or environmental destruction – it’s taboo in marketing to “go negative” about the category. But some plant-based campaigns have dared to, in smart ways. Example: A UK ad by Veganuary featured the slogan “Here’s a little secret: It’s not meat, it’s plants.” with imagery that hinted at farm animals, thereby gently confronting viewers with the idea that meat involves animals without showing gore. By breaking the unspoken rule “don’t remind people meat comes from animals,” such campaigns act as heretical wake-up calls.
Playful & Irreverent Tone: Many legacy food brands use either sentimental or macho tones. Plant-based disruptors often use wit, irony, or even absurdity – a totally different vibe. This attracts younger consumers. Oatly’s tone, for instance, is wry and ironic, even on their packaging (they print odd quips and self-references on oat milk cartons). This defies the norm that food packaging must be straightforward and serious about benefits. By sounding more like a friend or a meme than an ad, they inverted how a “milk” brand is expected to speak.
Examples of Successful Assumption Inversion:
Oatly – “It’s like milk, but made for humans”: Oatly’s campaign slogan is a prime example of assumption inversion. It takes the dairy industry’s centuries-old claim (“cow’s milk is for everyone”) and flips it: actually, cow’s milk is for calves; oat milk is for humans. This simple, powerful reversal was controversial (it provoked a lawsuit from Swedish dairy) but hugely effective at making people rethink why we ever assumed cow’s milk was our birthright (Oatly Billboards in Rotterdam and UK Reminds Consumers That Only Vegan Milk (Not Dairy) is Suitable for Humans). Oatly’s success in Europe and the U.S., where it turned a niche product into a trendy staple, shows the impact of directly challenging a core assumption.
Beyond Meat in the Meat Aisle: Beyond Meat insisted on selling its Beyond Burger in grocery meat cases, not the vegan section. This broke a retail norm and inverted the assumption that veggie products should be segregated. By sitting right next to ground beef, it sent a radical message: this is just “meat” made from plants. That bold placement helped meat-eaters give it a try (they didn’t have to venture into unfamiliar territory). The success of this move (many grocers reported Beyond selling out among the meats) proved that challenging distribution conventions can shift perceptions – consumers started to view plant burgers as direct alternatives to beef, not odd soy patties.
Impossible Whopper – “100% Whopper, 0% Beef”: When Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper, they marketed it with the tagline “100% Whopper, 0% Beef.” This phrasing inverts the idea that a burger must contain beef to be authentic. Burger King, a legacy fast-food giant, acted as a heretic within its own domain by championing a beef-free version of its flagship burger. The result was one of the most successful product launches in BK’s history (Burger King Will Sell Impossible Nuggets After Impossible Whopper ...), showing that breaking the assumption “fast food = meat” resonated with a broad audience. It normalized plant-based fast food overnight.
“Milk” without Cows – Various Brands: Numerous non-dairy milk brands have inverted assumptions simply by calling their products “milk” (oat milk, almond milk) and using dairy-like packaging, despite pushback from the dairy industry. They assumed consumers are smart enough to know the difference and embraced the term “milk” to mean a white creamy drink for cereal. This inversion of language (appropriating the word milk) was risky – regulators in some regions fought it – but it helped plant milks get adopted quickly as direct substitutes. Consumers didn’t need to learn a new word; they just bought soy milk and used it like milk. The success of this is evident in how ubiquitous alt-milks are today. Some countries even had legal battles (e.g. EU interim bans on the word “milk” for non-dairy), but brands like Oatly and Alpro turned those fights into publicity, reinforcing their stance that the assumption “milk=only dairy” is outdated.
Actionable Opportunity: Every convention from Section 1 can be flipped in a creative way. Plant-based brands should list the top assumptions in their category and brainstorm the boldest opposite claim that could be true. The key is to do it credibly or humorously, not in a way that alienates. The examples above show success comes when the inversion hits a cultural nerve. By being willing to say what was once unsayable (“meat isn’t necessary for masculinity/health/tradition/etc.”), challengers can reposition plant-based eating from a sacrifice to an empowering choice.
3. Legacy Hijacking: Repurposing Meat/Dairy Icons with a Twist
“Legacy hijacking” involves borrowing the familiar symbols, icons, and formats of the old meat/dairy world and giving them a subversive plant-based twist. It’s a way for disruptors to piggyback on the cultural resonance of legacy brands – but redirect the narrative. This tactic can create instant understanding (by referencing something known) while also signaling change (by altering it in a clever way). We explore ways plant-based brands have done this and propose new strategies:
a. Parodying Iconic Slogans and Campaigns:
Meat and dairy have some famous taglines – and plant-based brands haven’t been shy about riffing on them. The familiarity of these slogans makes the twist all the more powerful.
**“Got Milk?” → **“Got Oat?” or “Not Milk.” One of the dairy industry’s most iconic campaigns was “Got Milk?” with milk mustaches on celebrities. Plant-based challengers have hijacked this legacy. For example, the campaign for NotMilk (by NotCo) essentially answers “Got milk?” with their brand name – literally saying this is not milk (but in a milk-like carton, inviting curiosity). Another case: activists and some brands have done spoofs featuring plant milk mustaches or lines like “Got soy?” to poke at the original.
Oatly’s “It’s Like Milk, But Made for Humans”: This deserves repeat mention – it took the core notion of dairy advertising (that milk is a wholesome human staple) and cleverly inverted it in a slogan while mimicking the concise style of old campaigns. It reads like a classic tagline, but the content is subversive. Oatly plastered this slogan on billboards and even across buses in Europe (Oatly Billboards in Rotterdam and UK Reminds Consumers That Only Vegan Milk (Not Dairy) is Suitable for Humans), essentially hijacking the outdoor ad spaces long dominated by dairy. Result: People immediately get the reference to milk advertising, and the twist makes them chuckle and think. (It also annoyed Big Dairy to no end, which can be a sign of effective hijacking.)
“Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” → Plant-Based Twists: The US Beef Council’s famous slogan could be flipped by a plant-based brand – e.g., “Beans. They’re What’s for Dinner.” While we haven’t seen that exact execution, brands like Beyond Meat partner with traditional recipe media to place their products in classic “What’s for dinner?” contexts, effectively saying the same. A more guerrilla approach: a vegan advocacy group once put up a billboard that said “Let’s get together for a barbeque – and not kill any animals!”, which, while less slick, directly hijacked the all-American BBQ image with a twist.
b. Appropriating Visual Icons and Packaging Cues:
Plant-based products often look, cook, and are sold like the animal products they replace – this is intentional iconography hijacking. By using the same visual language and formats as legacy foods, they make adoption easier and subtly assert equivalence.
Packaging Mimicry: Many alt-meat brands use packaging that resembles the butcher’s case or deli counter. Beyond Meat’s ground product comes in a tray with clear film just like real ground beef. Impossible Foods at one point designed their retail packs with a cow silhouette cut-out window. These choices hijack the grocery visual cues of meat, signaling to consumers “yes, you can treat this just like meat.” Likewise, plant milks come in milk cartons or jugs, and vegan butter often comes in sticks or tubs like dairy butter. This isn’t by accident – it’s leveraging the mental models people already have. NotCo’s NotMilk even uses the classic dairy-grade color-coding (blue for whole, green for 2%, pink for strawberry, etc.) on its cartons, complete with bold cow-like spots on the packaging. By looking nearly identical to milk (apart from the word “Not”), they hijack dairy’s shelf presence while cheekily undermining it.
Logo and Mascot Twists: Some brands play with the imagery of animals in their branding in satirical ways. For example, The Vegetarian Butcher uses a retro-style logo with a pig and cow in it, styled like an old butcher shop sign, but obviously, they sell no pork or beef. This contrast creates a bit of cognitive dissonance that draws attention. Another example: a vegan cheese brand featuring a cow in a field on its label, but upon closer look the cow is happily not being used – turning the “happy cow” trope of dairy marketing into a statement that cows are happier when we don’t milk them. These kinds of tweaks allow plant-based brands to capture the warm-fuzzy farm iconography but subvert the outcome.
Formats and Recipes: Consider how plant-based burgers are often presented – as burgers with buns, cheese, and all the fixings, nearly indistinguishable from the real thing in ads. By showing the product in the exact legacy format (a burger, a hot dog, a pizza with vegan cheese), brands hijack not just the visuals but the very concept of the “allowed” formats in the category. A consumer seeing an ad for a juicy Impossible Burger loaded with toppings sees burger, period. The fact it’s plant-based is a second thought. This use of classic food imagery has been key to getting mainstream acceptance – it removes the “otherness” of the product. (Early vegan foods often showed the dish looking like vegetables; now they show it looking like familiar comfort foods.)
c. Cultural and Historical References:
Another form of legacy hijack is referencing historical moments or cultural mainstays tied to meat/dairy and rewriting them.
Oatly’s “Update the Classics” Ads: Oatly’s recent “Wow No Cow” and “Thanks Milk, we’ll take it from here” campaign in the US is a masterclass. They literally took archival footage of classic American moments involving dairy – like old recipe films and family scenes – and edited them to insert Oatly or replace the milk with Oatly. For example, showing a 1950s housewife pouring a pitcher, but now it’s oat milk in the pitcher. By doing this, they hijacked nostalgia for the milk era and playfully said it’s time to update. The tagline “Update Milk” itself is a twist on how tech companies talk (update your software) applied to a legacy staple. This strategy brilliantly piggybacks on cultural memory – viewers feel that Oatly is part of the continuous American story of milk, just the new and improved version.
Product Names that Reference Meat/Dairy Legacy: We see many plant brands naming their products in relation to the animal-based counterpart, essentially hijacking the name recognition. Impossible Burger, Beyond Sausage, Just Egg, Daiya Cheezecake (cheese-cake), etc. Even though some regulators push back (e.g. EU wanting to ban terms like “burger” for veggie patties, or Oatly being challenged on using “milk” in slogans (Oatly Billboards in Rotterdam and UK Reminds Consumers That Only Vegan Milk (Not Dairy) is Suitable for Humans)), the trend persists because it works. It uses the equity of the original product name to say “we’re like that, but not from an animal.” NotCo’s entire branding (NotMilk, NotBurger, NotMayo) is a tongue-in-cheek hijack of product names – by saying what they are not, they actually emphasize what beloved product experience they are giving you.
Hijacking Ad Formats: Some plant-based campaigns mimic the style of old meat ads to deliver a new message. For instance, a vegan charity produced a video styled exactly like a fast-food burger commercial – glossy shots of a burger, upbeat music – then revealed it was made of plants, ending with a call to try plant-based. By then the viewer had already salivated thinking it was meat. This is hijacking the format and emotional hook of legacy ads for a new end. Similarly, Miyoko’s Creamery (a vegan dairy brand) created a butter commercial that parodied the over-the-top sensual butter ads of the past, ending with the twist that no cows were harmed to make this butter.
(Oatly’s slogan on a Dublin bus: “It’s like milk but made for humans”. Bold and frank. I love it. : r/vegan) Plant-based brands can cleverly hijack legacy iconography in public spaces. Above, Oatly’s bold billboard on a Dublin bus proclaims “It’s like milk but made for humans,” mimicking the punchy style of classic dairy slogans while subverting their message (Oatly Billboards in Rotterdam and UK Reminds Consumers That Only Vegan Milk (Not Dairy) is Suitable for Humans). By placing this message on a vehicle (ironically, a medium milk advertisers have used for years), Oatly repurposes a familiar marketing channel to challenge the dairy legacy on its own turf.
d. Proposing New Strategic Approaches for Legacy Hijacking:
Building on past examples, here are actionable ideas for plant-based brands to further hijack meat/dairy legacy assets in fresh ways:
Subverted Heritage Labels: Create packaging that at first glance looks like an old establishment. For instance, a plant-based cheese could sport a vintage crest saying “Since 1890” with imagery of milkmaids – but when the consumer reads it fully, it says something like “Since 1890 – that’s the last time we needed to milk a cow for cheese.” This uses the authority of age/heritage but flips it humorously.
Reimagined Mascots: Dairy and meat gave us many mascots (Elsie the Cow, the Laughing Cow, Chick-fil-A’s cows, etc.). A plant-based brand could introduce a “spokes-animal” that supports the cause – e.g., a cartoon cow that encourages you to drink oat milk. This is literally hijacking the concept of animal mascots (which traditionally paradoxically encourage consuming their own kind) and instead having them cheer for plant alternatives. Oatly did a small version of this with a gag in their old packaging (a cow saying “no cow”). A full campaign with an animated cow activist could be memorable and sharable.
Retail Theater in Traditional Settings: How about opening a “Vegan Butcher Shop” in the heart of a city, complete with hanging fake meats, butcher block counters, and a butcher who talks about soy and seitan as if they were cuts of meat? In fact, such shops exist (The Vegetarian Butcher in the Netherlands, and faux butcher pop-ups) – they physically hijack the butcher shop experience and turn it into an educational, buzz-worthy showcase that still gives the nostalgic comfort of a traditional shop. For a brand, sponsoring or creating pop-up butcher-style delis that only sell plant meats (with butchers in aprons offering cooking tips) could attract enormous media attention and get skeptical consumers through the door by familiarity.
Contesting Legacy Ad Space: If budget allows, plant-based brands can hijack legacy industry strongholds. Example: running a plant-based ad during a major sports event or on a billboard right outside a steakhouse or a dairy farm. Oatly’s Times Square billboards and their lobbying stunt in Washington D.C. (where they served oat soft-serve from a truck to lawmakers to highlight dairy’s lobbying) are instances of meeting the legacy industry on its own turf but with a twist. Another idea: sponsor a state fair BBQ competition but with all vegan entries – hijack the concept of a BBQ cook-off, demonstrating plant BBQ can compete.
Language and Menu Hijack: Encourage restaurants to integrate plant-based items not in a segregated “vegan” section but directly in their main menu categories (e.g., list the Beyond Burger under Burgers next to beef burgers). Some chains are doing this, which normalizes the product. Brands can push this by co-branding (the Impossible Whopper being named as such on BK’s menu was smart – it wasn’t tucked away as “vegan burger,” it was a Whopper, loud and proud). Essentially, hijack the menu real estate and naming conventions so plant items sit shoulder-to-shoulder with legacy items. This also includes using the same dish names: call it plant-based “fried chicken”, “crab-less crab cakes,” etc., to trigger the same mouth-watering response as the animal version. (There are legal nuances by region, but creatively skirting those – like “Chick’n” – still achieves the effect.)
In all these approaches, the fine line to walk is respect vs. irreverence: hijacking works best when it’s playful or insightful, not just copycatting or disparaging without purpose. The goal is to evoke the legacy (so people get the reference) but then redirect the meaning. Done right, legacy hijacking can rapidly accelerate consumer acceptance by leveraging what’s already familiar in meat and dairy culture, while simultaneously undermining those old paradigms.
Conclusion & Key Recommendations: By mapping conventions, inverting assumptions, and hijacking legacy symbols, plant-based brands can craft disruptive strategies that make their offerings not just alternatives, but aspirational replacements for meat and dairy. Here are actionable takeaways for brands seeking radical innovation:
Leverage Category Myths as Creative Fuel: Every “unwritten rule” of meat/dairy marketing is an opportunity in disguise. Identify the top conventions (health claims, gender images, tradition cues) that your brand wants to challenge. Build campaigns that directly address those myths – either by debunking them or presenting a compelling new narrative. For instance, if the convention is “meat = masculinity,” consider an ad with a muscular athlete proudly saying he’s powered by plants. Be explicit; consumers appreciate the honesty.
Don’t Shy from Controversy – Be the Heretic: Challenging norms will ruffle feathers (sometimes literally, in the case of Big Chicken). Done with wit and authenticity, this can hugely benefit a challenger brand’s profile. Oatly’s legal battles and bold statements only strengthened its brand recognition among younger consumers who value transparency and humor (Oatly Billboards in Rotterdam and UK Reminds Consumers That Only Vegan Milk (Not Dairy) is Suitable for Humans). So, be prepared to be loud: question whether milk is really good for humans in your messaging, poke fun at the macho meat culture, highlight inconvenient truths (climate, animal welfare) in creative, non-preachy ways. It positions your brand as the truth-teller among complacent incumbents.
Use Familiarity as a Trojan Horse: Employ legacy hijacking to ease consumers into the future. Make the new feel familiar. Use the word “burger,” show the burger, serve it in a familiar way – then reveal it’s plant-based. This two-step of recognition then surprise is powerful. It’s exactly what Burger King did bridging the Impossible Whopper to Whopper brand equity, and it paid off in mass adoption. Evaluate your branding and designs – can a meat-eater recognize what your product corresponds to in their diet at a glance? If yes, you’ve cleared a huge barrier. From there, your job is to delight them so they don’t miss the old thing.
Be Subversive but Positive: Legacy hijacking works best when it comes off as playful homage rather than attack. Aim for subversive optimism. For example, an ad showing a cow dancing in a field saying “thank you for drinking oat milk” is cheeky and positive (the cow is free and happy) rather than accusatory. It flips the script with a smile. Consumers tend to share and engage with clever, funny content more than with angry messaging. The Greenpeace infographic we cited is effective because it uses humor (like a pig with a unicorn horn to mock “health” myths) even as it delivers a serious message. Plant-based brands should similarly balance edgy content with an ultimately uplifting, can-do tone – we’re inviting people to a better way, not just scolding them away from the old.
Iterate and Stay Culturally Tuned: Disruption is not one-and-done. Keep an eye on cultural shifts and be ready to hijack new legacies as they form. For instance, if lab-grown meat becomes the new hype, a plant brand might one day invert assumptions about that (“real plants vs. lab vats” could become a fresh angle). Always ask – what’s the next convention to break? TBWA’s Disruption model is a cycle: conventions change, and tomorrow’s challenger might be breaking today’s new norms. Plant-based brands must remain the optimistic rebels – continually mapping, inverting, and hijacking to drive the movement forward.
By executing on these fronts, plant-based brands can accelerate their march from fringe to forefront. The meat and dairy giants, with decades of branding behind them, seem to have the home-court advantage – but as we’ve shown, their every strength can be turned into an Achilles heel. With savvy disruption tactics, the challengers can rewrite the rules of the category, own the conversation, and win the hearts (and taste buds) of the modern consumer. The future of food is ripe for those willing to break the rules.
