A magazine ad for the oat company has landed in the top 1% of all UK ads for “credibility”, making it the most effective ad in the latest edition of Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study.
Readers are in complete control when it comes to what magazine ads they engage with, so creative for this channel needs an attention-grabbing hook to draw people in.
It also needs to retain readers long enough for them to process the ad, understand the intended message and link it to the brand. Meanwhile, in a world of “visual perfection”, brands often opt to share the most aesthetically pleasing elements of themselves.
Oat company Quaker has successfully navigated those challenges to create a standout magazine ad, according to Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study.
The study, which is produced in association with Marketing Week and the Advertising Association’s Trust Working Group, asks 750 consumers to give their thoughts on the top print ads over the period. It also tracks the facial expressions and eye movements of those viewing the ad.
The ad shows an image of a bowl of messy Quaker Porridge with added blueberries and raspberries and the words ‘Easy to make. Impossible to make beautiful. Quaker. Deliciously ugly.’
According to the study, the ad measures in the top 1% of UK ads for credibility, relevance, predisposition in the long term, building a sense of meaning towards the brand and for building difference.
Instead of hiding its imperfections, Quaker is calling them out by highlighting the “bumpy, messy reality of breakfast”, says Kantar’s head of creative excellence, Lynne Deason.
“What makes it powerful and effective is that it cleverly and intuitively leads people to translate this ugly truth that makes it different into something meaningful and relevant: real, delicious, wholesome food,” she explains.
The magazine ad is part of a multichannel campaign, and none of the oats shown in the posters were altered or retouched. The brand also hijacked London Fashion Week with a garment made entirely from porridge, including oat-covered boots, worn by TikTok influencer Lily Rose.
Audiences find the ad humorous, self-deprecating and radically honest – going against what they typically feel and see in ads. One respondent enjoyed the “different approach” by describing the product as ugly, while another found it “real and authentic”.
Branding falls in the top 3% of UK ads, exemplifying its effectiveness, while ad interest lands in the top 6% of all UK ads. Compared to other ads on the channel, 37% find Quaker’s magazine ad interesting, compared to an average of 19%.
The ‘deliciously ugly’ line is “very memorable” and encapsulates what makes Quaker different in a way that is “meaningful and irresistible”, according to Deason, who also notes it is the “antithesis” of what people see in culture.
“This is a truly brilliant campaign from Quaker that showcases the power of connected creativity to deliver results,” she says.
This ad also has the potential to support a short-term sales response for Quaker, placing it in the top 6% of all UK ads.
One respondent said: “It made me smile. Despite the tagline, it did make the food look appealing.”
