Bob's Your Uncle

Gardein: “Start a Healthy Relationship” Goes Mainstream

Before plant-based dominated grocery aisles, Gardein and Bob’s Your Uncle were already shaping the conversation with wit, cultural fluency, and category intuition.
The campaign positioned Gardein as fun, flirtatious, and modern — a plant-based brand that didn’t take itself too seriously.

Coverage

The New York Times — “Your [Choose Your Expletive] Ad Here”

URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/business/media/your-choose-your-expletive-ad-here.html

“A campaign for the Gardein line of meatless food products tries to reach younger consumers with a playful tone.”

“Bob Froese, chief executive at the Gardein creative agency, the BrainStorm Group… said, ‘We want to stay in the boundaries of good taste… it is a very thin line.’”

“Russell Barnett… said the goal is for the campaign to be ‘playful,’ part of Gardein’s brand tone.”

Why This Matters

Gardein’s playful, relationship-themed campaign — “a friend with nutritional benefits” — was ahead of its time.

1. A category that didn’t yet exist

Long before “plant-based” was a mainstream term, Gardein needed a hook that resonated with flexitarians, not just vegetarians.

2. A brand voice that avoided preachiness

Instead of using guilt or moral superiority — common at the time — Gardein leaned into joy, humour, and cultural relevance.

3. Carefully navigating tone

The campaign flirted with innuendo without crossing into vulgarity — a balance the NYT specifically noted.

4. Historical continuity for BYU

This work reflects the lineage from BrainStorm → Bob’s Your Uncle, establishing a long record of shaping challenger food brands.

Case Studio & Video

https://www.bobsyouruncle.com/work/gardein