Today Mars Food introduced the first Bens Original global marketing campaign Everyones Original. The new campaign is linked with the brands ongoing commitment to enhance inclusion and equity in service of its purpose to offer everyone a seat at the table.
The inspiration for the new campaign came from the simplest of places our brand name, said Rafael Narvaez, Global CMO and R&D Officer, Mars Food. Original not only speaks to the quality of the worlds best rice brand, but also our vision of inclusivity that celebrates individuality. We are not defined by our age, gender, sexuality or race what defines us are the personality traits and quirks that make us all unique. Because were individuals were all original.
The first commercials from the new campaign, called Were all original recipes, are designed to showcase the ingredients that make us who we truly are. The commercials are based on a simple question what if we gave different families the same ingredient a pouch of Bens Original rice? The content shows the unique recipes, traditions and interactions that make each of the real families original.
The commercials feature a collection of six real families who gather around the table for their favorite meals featuring Bens Original jasmine rice. The families include a Black nuclear family, a pair of friends, three roommates, a single-parent family, a family who uses sign-language and a multi-generational Pakistani family.
The fully integrated campaign, which was developed by The&Partnership, will first air in the U.S. before rolling out to Australia, the UK, Germany, Canada and France in the coming months. The first commercials include a variety of television ads, a minute-long anthemic piece, as well as digital, social and video-on-demand formats that will air on a variety of different platforms.
Bens Original Continues to Take Action to Serve its Purpose
Since announcing the new brand name last September, the Bens Original brand has focused on taking action through community outreach programs around the world to ensure underserved communities have access to the nutritious meals we all deserve.
In addition, the brands Seat at the Table Fund is designed to create equal opportunities for people to pursue careers in the food industry so their ideas and voices can be appreciated by all. The first Seat at the Table scholarship fund launched in the U.S. to support Black culinary students. The scholarship, which was developed with National Urban League and UNCF (United Negro College Fund), covers education-related expenses for students towards the completion of a food business, science or culinary arts certificate, Associate or Bachelors degree. The brand is also funding apprenticeships in the U.K., which will launch later this year.
Last month, in the U.S. Mars Food also announced a $3.1 million donation of product to long-standing national partners including Feeding America® and CARE, as well as a variety of local partners in communities where the business operates, including in Greenville, Miss., Chicago, Ill. and Newark, NJ. In the U.K, the brand donated £100,000 to the Trussell Trust to help the organization achieve their vision of a hunger-free future. Mars Food plans to make similar donations to partners in a variety of countries in the next several months.
The brand also committed to investing $2.5 million over the next five years to improve access to healthy foods and education in Greenville, Miss., where the brand has been produced for more than 43 years. Part of this effort includes a new partnership with MolinaCares and the Kroger Delta Division to bolster food access and education programs in the Mississippi Delta region.
These steps are in addition to commitments from Mars, Incorporated, to continue to improve racial equity throughout our business, from increased representation in our workforce, leadership and talent pipeline, to better utilizing our spend, specifically among our suppliers, to drive positive change.
For more information about Bens Original, visit www.BensOriginal.com.
About Mars, Incoporated
Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. The company is a global business that produces some of the worlds best-loved brands: M&Ms®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BENS®, and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom inspire its more than 115,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.