Dive Brief:

• Online grocer Hungryroot is launching a national TV ad campaign September 7, the company told Grocery Dive in an email. The ads will run nationwide on 11 different cable networks including The Food Network, Bravo and TLC.
• The campaign, which was done in partnership with ad firm Tatari, will feature two different TV spots. One will use paid, scripted talent, while the other will showcase user-generated content from unpaid social media advocates.
• The marketing effort coincides with Hungryroot becoming profitable for the first time.

Dive Insight:

A sneak peek of the ad featuring real shoppers reveals a TV spot that teases the excitement customers feel when they unbox their Hungryroot deliveries. The scripted TV ads, meanwhile, showcase Hungryroot as modern, fast and fresh. 

Tackling a TV ad campaign is a novel approach for the online retailer, and data shows a majority of people are still watching TV in its traditional format. According to Statista, TV reached 81% of 18 to 34 year-olds and 92% of 35 to 49 year-olds in Q1 of 2019. 

The retailer, which launched five years ago, offers a unique direct-to-consumer model using customer preferences and healthy food brands to curate a weekly grocery delivery.

It’s a model ripe for growth given the increase in eating at home during the pandemic, and it stands out from other models like meal kits. With Hungryroot, consumers create profiles indicating dietary preference and eating habits, and the grocer builds a custom meal plan and automatically generates a customer’s shopping cart. 

While consumers are spending more time across different media channels, traditional advertising still remains integral to marketing strategies. Recent efforts include Kroger’s in-store audio ads, Stop & Shop’s TV campaign to promote safety and Lowes Foods’ TV ads highlighting the retailer’s produce prep stations. 

The release of Hungryroot’s ad campaign coincides with a promotion promising free cookie dough for life, which allows new customers to get a free tub of cookie dough in each delivery for the duration of their Hungryroot grocery subscription.