Ryvita Encourages Us All to Live Life with a Little More 'Ish'

Today sees the launch of Ryvita’s new brand campaign – taking them back onto TV screens after six years with a brand redesign and platform based on the idea, “Live life with a little more ‘ish’.”

Created by Havas London, the new brand communications platform takes Ryvita away from its traditional territory of being a functional health brand with dieting at its core to instead occupying a broader, more culturally relevant space of liberation and versatility, revolutionising the brand and the category.

Havas’ flagship film – its first work for the brand – features a woman enjoying her Ryvita in any number of ways, and carries the message, “At Ryvita, we are about living well and eating well, with a little room for ‘ish’.”

As she adds delicious toppings onto her Ryvita, all at different times of the day, the voiceover continues: “Because ‘ish’ never judges how thick you slather... Healthy-ish. More-ish. Wonderfully weird-ish. Because when we live with a little more ‘ish’, we give ourselves some kindness.”

Whether it's strawberries and chocolate spread, melted cheese, a mix of relishes – or even peanut butter and gherkin – it’s all about living life with a little more ‘ish’. Ryvita’s Crispbreads, Crackerbread and Thins are all dolloped, slathered or dunked, demonstrating how the brand can support in modern consumers’ lives today.

Media planning and buying was handled by the7stars and includes hero spots running alongside this summer’s biggest TV shows including Love Island on ITV2, and other peak programming spots such as Gogglebox on E4, and The Midwich Cuckoos on Sky Max.

Nikki Wilkinson, senior brand manager at Ryvita says: “Ryvita is an iconic British brand, but in recent times it had become too focused on the health agenda. People didn’t see Ryvita as being relevant to them; we simply didn’t come to mind.

“For many people, the health agenda has changed from diet and deprivation to taste and enjoyment, and we feel Ryvita can play a relevant role in people’s lives today. Ryvita shows that an “ish” way of life is having the confidence and attitude to own being imperfect and live with balance

“Through our new “Live life with a little more ish” advert and campaign we want to showcase how versatile and balanced our products are and how a fully loaded Ryvita is healthy, natural, delicious and perfect for many occasions. On-trend for all consumers today – we are here to help everyone live with a little more ish and feel good about it, every day.”

Vicki Maguire, chief creative officer at Havas London, adds: “The last thing anyone needs right now is that archaic brand of artificial perfection advertising loves. Sod that – let’s celebrate real life in all its messy glory, imperfections and all. There’s no judgement here. This is a campaign that says ‘do’, not ‘don’t’ – because nothing tastes as good as cutting yourself some slack feels.”

Ryvita, owned by Associated British Foods, appointed Havas in November without the need for a formal pitch. The brand initially held exploratory conversations with agencies with the view to commencing a procurement-led process, but elected to appoint Havas to its account following a successful ‘trial’ or ‘chemistry’ period. The appointment marked the culmination of an atypical, successful process for agency and client alike.