Lowe, movie and TV viewers know, wasn’t in need of a diet. He’s never lost weight on the plan, which promotes eating foods that are low in carbs and sugars, and high in protein.
Atkins is hopeful Lowe will appeal to the tens of millions of people who Chief Marketing Officer Scott Parker calls “self-directed,” those trying to cut back on carbohydrates and sugar but who “don’t want to follow a very dogmatic program.”
The broader outreach could also boost Atkins sales, which Parker says are growing in a high-single-digit range.
“We have such a strong equity in weight loss that we don’t need to keep repeating it, says Parker. “What we need to do is have a more relevant, growth-oriented message.”
Atkins’ own research indicates that about half of its buyers have never tried to lose weight on Atkins.
“We think this is a tremendous opportunity for us to extend our franchise beyond the traditional weight loss,” says Parker.
Parker said some company employees had heard about Lowe’s eating habits, leading Atkins to reach out to the actor’s management team to find out if Lowe actually lived this kind of lifestyle. “The response was very enthusiastic yes,” says Parker.
The actor, with dozens of credits including the movies “The Outsiders” and “St. Elmo’s Fire” and TV series such as “The West Wing” and “Parks and Recreation” and, more recently, “Code Black,” talks about the Atkins lifestyle in a campaign that began running on Jan. 1. It includes a longer-form commercial for online.
from Ad Age: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/atkins-hires-rob-lowe-promote-lifestyle-a-diet/311791/
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