Responses by Jeff Beck; senior vice president, group creative director; Havas Chicago.
Background: We launched YUMBO to bring a bigger, bolder, meatier meat stick to the world. On paper, the purpose was building awareness of YUMBO as a new product, but the real goal was to break through a crowded category by challenging who meat sticks are actually for. The meat-stick establishment says they’re for trucker types or masculine fantasies. We say they’re for real meatheads—and by that, we don’t mean the swole gym bro. We mean anyone who listens to what their body really wants: a better-for-you snack that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.
Design thinking: We realized that the meat-stick category had painted itself into a corner. On one side, you’ve got the macho-man brigade. On the other, you’ve got new competitors treating protein like a nutritional chore, not something you’d enthusiastically choose or crave. So, we asked ourselves: What if YUMBO was the first meat stick to recognize that enjoyment, not just nutrition, is part of the equation? That’s when we landed on flipping “meathead” completely. Instead of the muscle-bound stereotype, we made it about anyone who follows their gut—literally. Your body knows what it wants. Why should you have to justify that? The “Meat for Real Meatheads” campaign puts this thinking front and center.
Challenges: It sounds crazy, but the most challenging aspect of this project was killing some really good ideas. The strategy and brief were so strong that a wealth of concepts fell out of them. From there, we had to truly hone in on which of our solid ideas would make the most impact. A lot of great ideas hit the cutting room floor, but that’s OK. We couldn’t be prouder of where we landed.
Favorite details: We’re most proud of our true dedication to the documentary/mockumentary genre. We went so deep with our details that we even researched the types of cameras Mindy’s family would be using during the years of her life we’re seeing on screen. Then, we applied FX in post that would mimic those particular cameras. Admittedly, we nerded out a little bit, but it made the documentary style feel even more authentic.
New lessons: We learned to truly trust improvisation during our shoot day. We knew the beats we wanted to hit in the story, but we also wanted to give our actors the space to add to the story once they were in character. Doing so only amplified the humor and believability of the spots.
Specific project demands: We worked on a really fast timeline, having just won the account in March. But to the client’s credit, that didn’t let them make easy choices. They wanted to be sure we pushed it at every turn, and with their collaboration, we kept challenging ourselves to work the idea until it was something we truly knew would be disruptive.
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