The New York Bakery Co.’s ‘George’ Lands in the UK to Get Brits to Eat Bagels for Breakfast

The New York Bakery Co., the market leading bagel brand, is on a mission to shake up breakfast and make NYBCo. synonymous with weekday breakfasts. The campaign, created by Recipe, has been born out of extensive breakfast research; parents need bold breakfasts that can keep up with their big characters, and as a brand born within the chaos of the big city and a product that delivers a much bigger breakfast, we felt as though NYBCo. was perfectly placed to position its bagels as the better weekday breakfast option. 

At the heart of the campaign is Recipe’s cinematic and playful 60-second film starring George, the already established and much-loved brand character who is authentic and straight-talking; full of life, spark and that trademark New York charm. For George, anything for breakfast other than a New York bagel is a 'lousy imitation' and should not even be called breakfast. The film, which complements the brand’s existing ‘New York or Nothin’ brand ad, sees George land in the UK, where he is shocked to learn Brits eat toast, not bagels, for breakfast.

Cue a playful protest from George as he calls on Londoners to “ditch the toast for breakfast, eat a bagel. It’s the Toast of New York.” This move to promote bagels as ‘a real breakfast to get up for’ is a fun, tongue-in-cheek mission that talks directly to UK consumers through the camera. The hero film will launch on social media from 11th April. It was preceded two weeks earlier by the pre-campaign launch of ‘The British Toast Association’ with its own slightly unremarkable billboard, website and Instagram account. 

The campaign is supported by an equally bold marketing push across OOH and BVOD media. Special build 96,48, and 6-sheet formats, created by Recipe, celebrating bagels as the ‘Toast of New York’ will hit major commuter locations, including London’s Waterloo, to land, quite literally, the bagel’s ample size in giant 3D models and spread the message nationwide, that NYBCo. bagels deliver a much bigger, better and bolder breakfast.

Further campaign drives include a partnership with Heart Radio’s Breakfast Show for one week starting from 17th April, where Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden will broadcast from a New York-inspired studio daily, encouraging listeners to take part in a host of fun bagel-related challenges. An on-pack promotion, social media, PR and influencers will complete the marketing support, managed by NYBCo.’s social & PR agency, Wild Card. 

The campaign will run until June.

Christina Honigfort, head of marketing at New York Bakery Co., said: “Not all breakfasts are created equal. New York bagels are chewier, tastier and more filling than less authentic bagels and other morning staples. For us, it really is New York or Nothin’.

“That’s why the message behind our new brand campaign cuts straight to the point: enough with the toast. Packed with an unforgettable taste and chew that cannot be matched, the New York bagel is a real breakfast all-rounder”.

Ali Morgan, commercial director at Recipe said: “When we won the New York Bakery Co. account last year, our task was to write the next chapter for this incredible brand. To build on the great work already done. And this campaign does just that - more pointed, more proud, more punch. But always, always true to the New York or Nothin' platform.”