Quaker Embraces Its Ugliness in Offensive Posters Series

Last month, Quaker and Uncommon hijacked London Fashion Week with the world’s ugliest dress: a garment made entirely from porridge, including oat covered boots, worn by TikTok influencer Lily Rose.

Quaker’s bold move pokes fun at high fashion’s ongoing obsession with the bizarre, where ‘ugly’ is often celebrated as avant-garde. From Balenciaga’s trash-bag purses to Crocs on the catwalk, the industry has long embraced the unconventional. Quaker stirred the pot — quite literally — on what it really means to be fashion-forward.

The oat couture fit turned heads and raised eyebrows from those passing by — racking up over eight million views on socials — launching the brand new ‘Deliciously Ugly’ campaign in style — visually manifesting the campaign’s sentiment.

Quaker Oats isn’t as beautiful, colourful or trendy as its competitors — but that’s because it’s real food — unfiltered. So, similarly to the fashion industry — a category obsessed with looks — Quaker is proud to say it is deliciously real, ‘Deliciously Ugly’, which is exactly what this next installation of the campaign illustrates.

Taking inspiration from everyday colloquial British phrases often used to describe unattractive things such as: ‘Bulldog chewing a wasp’, ‘Looks minging’ and ‘Walloped by the ugly stick’ — these expressions are accompanied by unfiltered images of Quaker Oats, in their natural, enjoyable and messy state.

These execution feature Quaker Oats at its finest with humorous and self-deprecating phrases juxtaposed with the brand’s reassurance that their oats remain ‘Deliciously Real’ and ‘Deliciously Ugly’ — leaning in to the fact that while Quaker Oats might not win any beauty contests, it is real food with nutritious benefits.

Scott Dungate, chief creative officer at Uncommon Creative Studio said, “We designed these humorous posters to push Quaker’s ‘Deliciously Ugly’ campaign to its limits, following on from the iconic but hideous ‘Porridge Dress’ at London Fashion week. The headlines channeled the many ‘ugly-isms’ found in British slang, and redirected them to our bowls of admittedly ugly but delicious oats.”

In a move that sets it apart from the majority of modern food advertising, none of the oats shown in the posters were altered or retouched. Ensuring the porridge authentically reflected its natural state — continuing to celebrate Quaker Oats. The forty distinctive flyposters will be displayed across various London boroughs throughout March and April.