Whole Foods Market

case study

branding

advertising

social media

video production

in-store
consumer marketing

recruitment marketing
app development

the iconic natural grocer's steadfast mission of responsibility, quality, and value became our mission.

advertising. branding. point of purchase. videos. apps. recruitment. we loved every minute of the [organic, locally-grown, sustainably-sourced] fruits of our labor.

chances are we don't need to tell you about Whole Foods Market, the legendary international natural grocer with uncompromising quality standards and a commitment to sustainability and supporting local vendors.

over the years, we watsons worked on a variety of successful initiatives: integrated campaigns to promote their high-quality/low-priced 365 Everyday Value products. holiday campaigns to promote their prepared foods for harried hosts.

awareness campaigns that uncovered their stringent quality standards one by one (no hydrogenated oils, anyone?). recruitment programs that communicated their company ethos to prospective employees. heart-warming tv spots that spoke to the sweetness of sharing. apps that helped guests the best cheeseboard on the block. new store openings in NJ, NYC, Chicago, DC, and Virginia. and tagline and point of sale programs for Whole Body products. we could go on and on. and we will, below.

bagging the
‘whole paycheck’ misnomer.

there’s no better proof of a value promise than a person with a bag full of groceries, so we shot consumers with bags featuring snarky headlines about value and quality. the campaign was seen on out of home that reached audiences where they lived, worked and walked, in New Jersey and Manhattan. and, with life imitating art, the campaign was such a hit Whole Foods decided to feature the campaign's disruptive headlines on the bags they provide to their customers upon checkout — thus creating thousands of walking billboards all around town. the campaign was such a success that it was used in other regions, like the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

that time nyc became oz.

we painted the town Whole Foods green with disruptive, whimsical messaging as pure and honest as the brand’s offerings. with short, quippy lines that were quick and easy to read, we drove our messaging home to even the busiest passersby. we made them smile. we made them think, and — most of all — we reminded them what value really means. the stunning green designs popped on every medium, creating a look that was both conspicuous and beautiful. and the tagline summed up every message with a call to action: shop like you deserve it.

using urban streets as our landscape, including billboards, in-store signage, train posters, nyc-centric food and lifestyle blogs, we set out to reach people where they live, play, and shop. we also covered sidewalks with disruptive, bio-friendly stenciled messages. and to create extra buzz, we also branded pedicabs, giving shoppers who spent over $50 on groceries free rides home.

as a result, Whole Foods’ Tribeca store experienced the brand’s biggest opening at that time, we won press coverage for the campaign and pedi-cabs (thank you, New York Times), and — most importantly — an increase in basket size among all existing stores in the region.

less roasting.
more hosting.

to raise the profile of their holiday prepared food offerings, we created a festive, food-focused campaign that assured hosts that Whole Foods had their back, from appetizers to dessert. the campaign ran in neighborhoods in and around a Whole Foods location on out of home, digital, and print in Time Out New York.

sharing is caring.

we created a tv/ott campaign for the Midwest region that brought back the kinder, gentler spirit of the holidays. the three heartwarming tales proved that sharing your food really is caring. handling concept, writing, producing, and editing — we and our incredible cast and crew (and one very cool client) helped Whole Foods spread some powerful holiday cheer.

an employer brand designed
with authenticity & joy.

Whole Foods Markets' workplace is one that seeks to find the best in people and reward them for all they do. a culture that focuses on the wholistic development and satisfaction of their team members by offering the opportunity and training to grow in many different ways. not to mention, competitive pay and benefits — including 100% paid health care premiums — and amazing perks.

we created a lively, distinct employer brand campaign that brought this bright, happy, diverse workforce to life with an equally dynamic and positive look, feel, and tone. we featured engaging profiles and authentic photos of their staff that captured the joy and fulfillment of working for a mission-driven employer. and to make it an extra personalized experience, each profile contained a QR code where the reader could get each team member's favorite Whole Foods recipe.

the campaign played out via print and digital assets and recruiting event backdrops and swag. this fresh, memorable employer brand not only created an emotional connection with prospective candidates — it engendered a sense of pride with their existing workforce — icing on the non-hydrogenated oil cake!

a tagline that gets to the heart of it.

in general, people who shop at Whole Foods care deeply about the foods they consume. so when we were tasked to get more customers to shop the Whole Body department (or free-standing stores) our insight into the demo was all the inspiration we needed for the perfect tagline. our target just needed to be prodded to think about the 'clean' quotient of the products they use on the rest of their bodies. and thus the new national tagline Be Good to your Whole Body was born.

we also designed in-store signage and booklets that educated consumers on the uses and efficacy of Whole Body products.

pass the apps to us.

the Cheese Wheel app

this fun and handy app takes the guesswork out of building the perfect cheeseboard. users spin the wheel to align their ideal flavor profile, texture, and must-have pairings — like jams, paté, or meats. the result? a perfectly balanced cheese plate that’ll have you looking like the chairman of the… board.

the Summer of Sausage app

this app was a part of a summer promotion to sell more in-house made, antibiotic-fee sausage. the app gave users everything they needed to celebrate sausage season — recipes, a store locator, and a chance to win a shiny-new, grill. because summer isn’t complete without a little extra sizzle.