Sweden – The plant-based milk brand is having fun with its latest advertising campaign, which brings 10 campaign executions together in one video. In the campaign, Oatly’s creative director Michael Lee can be heard reading out a summary of the campaign to art director Oskar Pernefeldt. He explains how the advertising journey began with a bus stop ad, followed by a boat sign about the ad. Further iterations include social media posts, a billboard, a truck ad and a street mural – all incorporating the initial ad.
At the end of the video, art director Pernefeldt asks, ‘Is that it?’, before the pair decide to add one final advertising step – posting their Zoom meeting in an Instagram post. By taking this self-referential approach, Oatly draws attention to the complex landscape of marketing and advertising, poking fun at the ridiculousness of the sector, while also still promoting its products.
Oatly is showing how Anti-authenticity Marketing is still relevant today, intentionally avoiding narratives around its history and purpose to instead offer relatable and light-hearted storytelling.
Strategic opportunity
The advertising sector is overrun with stories around heritage and purpose. Avoid these overused tactics and instead try to level with consumers through humanised and relatable messaging
