Protein Snack BUILT Asks "What the Puff?" in Latest Campaign

An animated campaign with a catchy tagline is what brand leaders at BUILT are betting on to help sell their unique BUILT Puff protein snacks in the marketplace. Coveted by healthy snackers who are looking for tastier ways to get more protein in their diet without a lot of calories, BUILT tapped agency Marcus Thomas as its creative agency late last year following a competitive review.

“Marcus Thomas stood out for their strategic approach. They had the right insights to make breakthrough communication that avoids the typical category cliches and captures the unexpected joy someone experiences when they try BUILT Puff,” said BUILT chief commercial officer Megan Crossland.

With unique flavours like Coconut, Cookie Dough Chunk, Brownie Batter, S’mores Chunk and Cookies ‘N Cream, BUILT Puff appeals to a wide swath of consumers. The animated campaign that will meet people where they live, work and play is sure to drive awareness and generate more enthusiasts to help BUILT further stand out in the burgeoning health-and-wellness category.

BUILT joins clients including the Ohio Lottery, DeWalt, Dexcom and Festival Foods on the agency’s growing roster.

“The campaign captures the reaction consumers have when they try BUILT Puff for the very first time,” said Marcus Thomas creative director Kevin Delsanter. “Most protein bars are gritty, with a bad aftertaste. They are a bit of a chore to eat. BUILT Puff is the only protein bar with their unique marshmallowy texture and variety of flavours, so we can present ourselves a bit more like candy in the protein bar category, which really helps us stand out.”

Focused on increasing awareness to support its rapidly expanding retail availability, the campaign will be brought to life across multiple consumer touchpoints including OTT/CTV, display, social media, creator, retail and in-store media, with more to come later in the year.

“We needed a campaign that would introduce the BUILT Puff in a way that would capture everyone’s attention, and Marcus Thomas delivered,” said Megan. “Conceived and executed within a couple months, ‘What the Puff?!’ is just the tone we need to disrupt the protein snack category.”

BUILT Puff is available in Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Publix, Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Meijer, HEB, CVS and many other regional and national grocery and convenience stores, with new stores being added daily.

“Our deep strategic dive into their brand revealed the unparalleled level of decadence of BUILT Puff in the protein category and led our creatives down a path of discovery culminating in a campaign that captures the brand’s magic,” said president and chief creative officer Jamie Venorsky. “We’re thrilled that BUILT is banking on us. We will deliver.”