OATLY
I analyzed Oatly's unique branding and bold approach to advertising, specifically in their 2021 Super Bowl ad. I also created graphics to enhance my writing and research. This project exemplifies my unique writing voice and analytical abilities, along with my perception of industry trends.
Read my analysis below.
*This is a concept project
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Annie Marsh
March 16, 2021
TREND ALERT: OAT MILK
How Oatly’s anti-ad Super Bowl ad was a marketing success
“THAT ANNOYING OATLY AD”
The alt-milk market is taking over, and brands like Oatly are here to engage with the so-called “Post Milk Generation.” Oatly began popping up in small cafes across the US promoted by quirky murals and subway art in select cities. But now their oat milk - and their advertising - are going mainstream with a coveted spot in the 2021 Super Bowl ad line-up.
Oatly is all about defying the norm, whether that norm is drinking cow’s milk or airing a traditional Super Bowl commercial. At $5.5 million, a 30 second ad during the big game is no joke...unless you’re Swedish oat milk brand Oatly, that is. Oatly CEO Toni Petersson stands in a field and sings, “Wow, wow, no cow,” to advertise their product and well...you’ll just have to see for yourself:
For obvious reasons, the commercial’s odd tune and overtly simple concept received mixed reviews. But that’s exactly what Oatly was expecting. The brand met baffled audiences with free t-shirts reading, “I totally hated that Oatly commercial,” which sold out in less than 5 minutes.
It was the commercial people loved to hate and Oatly knew just what they were in for when it hit 96.4 million viewers’ screens on Super Bowl Sunday. Oatly aired this exact commercial in Sweden in 2014, resulting in public outrage and a lawsuit from the Swedish Dairy Association.
Their advertising embraces criticism from avid milk-drinkers and cow farmers, and their Super Bowl ad is no different. With the motto “It’s like milk, but made for humans,” Oatly set out to start a conversation about the adverse health and environmental effects of dairy milk.
There’s no doubt it got people talking:
“The rules of time and space make it impossible to give you back the 30 seconds you just spent watching our Super Bowl commercial, but at least we can give you this free t-shirt that lets the world know where you stand on our attempt to promote Toni’s singing skills to a wider audience.”
-Oatly’s Instagram
“Having a hard time enjoying this drive bc I’m still mad about the Oatly commercial.”
-comedian Sam Morril on Twitter
Oatly’s advertising reflects the age-old saying “all press is good press,” but the proof is in the (vegan) pudding: the sales.
THE PLANT-BASED REVOLUTION
The growing trend toward non-dairy milks is evident in grocery stores, trendy cafes, and international chains. Oat milk sales have skyrocketed 350.8% over the past year, edging out soy milk for second place in the alternative milk market. And I believe it has the potential to beat almond milk in the #1 spot before long.
If oat milk were a niche meme on Twitter curated by baristas and hipsters, it’s now becoming the viral Facebook post your Aunt Jean shares to her 30 followers. You know oat milk is mainstream when it’s served at Starbucks (as of March 2020) and Dunkin’ Donuts (as of August 2020).
MOO-VIN ON UP
The brand takes a charming, satirical approach to advertising in the self-aware voice that many corporations aim for but hardly ever achieve. Oatly’s murals (“We made this ad look like street art so you would like it better than if it was just an ad”) and subway posters (“We made this poster so that you would find this and put it in your coffee”) appeal to ironic Millennial humor and make the brand feel approachable without the corporate sales jargon.
Nostalgia is creeping into almost every field, with young consumers gravitating toward Polaroid photos instead of iPhone captures and vinyl records instead of Spotify playlists. Oatly’s branding plays into this concept, moving away from the bright colors and minimalist design of many other trendy Millennial products. As Oatly’s Creative Director stated, “We want this brand to have a very homemade feel as if our CEO was just sitting in his basement creating the packaging by himself.”
Appealing to today’s consumers is all about curating a small-business feel within a large corporation and taking a stand on important issues (Advocating for the environment and hopping on the wellness trend? Check). Oatly shows how modern brands can supplement old-fashioned outdoor advertising and TV ads with strong social media engagement to successfully reach young audiences and stir up the norms in our grocery aisles and on our TV screens. One thing is certain: Oatly will be milking this trend for years to come.