Batchelors looks to reinvigorate pea category with new campaign

The four-week campaign, which was developed by Atomic, focuses on three real Irish farmers and asks the women of Ireland to vote for their favourite.  Three young farmers who hail from Wexford, Limerick and Kildare represent Batchelors’ three pea varieties – mushy, marrowfat and traditional – with each featuring in a high impact outdoor campaign.

According to Batchelors, the campaign, which features the strapline “Nothing Fancy. But Very Tasty”, is intended to be a light-hearted reflection of the product truths.

It asks “Which One Do You Want for Dinner” and focuses on outdoor creative with the three farmers in suggestive poses, with messages like: D’ya wanna spoon?’, ‘Fancy a bit on the side?’ and ‘Have me on the kitchen table’.

In addition, the Batchelors Facebook page has been transformed with a new application allowing consumers to vote for their favourite farmer, view special video content and be in with a chance to win some pea-themed prizes. The campaign will also involve PR and experiential activity, designed to reveal a little more about the farmers.

Once a staple in Ireland, peas have suffered a decline in the last decade, which, according to Batchelors, is due mainly to changing consumer diets and a lack of knowledge around the versatility and nutritional value of the pea. This campaign aims to put peas back in the minds of consumers with a view to subsequently educating on the benefits of the vegetable.

Batchelors has been making beans and peas in Ireland since 1935 and currently contracts over 700 acres of pea fields with Irish farmers. Various Batchelors pea farmers will also feature in the new advertising campaign through a series of interviews on the Batchelors Facebook page and supporting PR activities.