The plant-based category is at its peak, it seems like every day a new brand pops up. And as a small Swedish challenger brand, Oumph! had two main challenges:

First, it needed to differentiate itself and get talked about amidst a sea of big-budget and well-known competitors from all over the world.

Secondly, it had to convince meat-lovers, vegetarian or not, that their plant-based products can in fact replicate the taste of any meat, a claim most are tired of hearing and even more tired of being disappointed by:

A plant-based human meat burger. Because if we could replicate the taste and texture of human flesh using just plants, and make it mouthwatering, doing it with any other meat would be a piece of cake.

We based the recipe on the testimonies of real cannibals. From this research the brand’s R&D team was able to develop a taste profile for human meat. The result: the taste resembles pork, but is slightly sweeter, it looks like red meat and has a tender beef-like texture. Now all we had to do was make it tasty!

As a challenger brand from Sweden looking to make its way into new markets, like Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, UK, South Africa and Australia, our campaign was for Sweden but it also needed to resonate in other markets. We knew we had to do something no other plant-based brand could or would even dare to do.

Strategically, we knew telling people how they should eat wouldn't work, it’s what every other brand is saying. Instead, our approach was to place the debate about meat consumption on the table for discussion and let people come to their own conclusions. And it worked. Both the press and the online comments raised questions like “Is eating beef so far removed from cannibalism?” or “Why not treat yourself to a tasty ‘human meat plant-based burger?”

First, with the brand’s chef and co-founder we needed to figure out the recipe. It started with the classic Oumph! burger base: mushrooms, wheat, and soy protein. Then a blend of plant-based pork aromas was added to get that sweeter pork taste, coconut fat for the tenderness, and finally some beetroot juice to give it its red color.

Once we had the burger, through online videos, guerilla posters and a local press tour we invited everyday people and journalists to pass by our food truck to try the Human Meat Plant-Based burger for themselves—a Halloween night exclusive. Our food truck was strategically located in a park in the center of Stockholm’s busy nightlife, and as soon as we opened the burgers were flying out.

The month following our campaign the brand’s top of mind awareness saw an increase of 400%, helping Oumph! become the fastest growing plant-based brand in Sweden during Q4. We also saw an increase of 83% in the amount of people that picked Oumph! As their first choice of plant-based food in the supermarkets. A local activation in Sweden that resonated globally. Over 250 articles picked up our campaign internationally, achieving a global reach of more than 500 million.

Oumph! - Oumph! - Human Meat

CREDITS

Gold partners