Source: TikTok
We all know the power of marketing, but one TikTok user has taken this to the next level by rebranding junk foods like Coke to make them sound healthy.
Matt Rosenman is a health food banding expert and blogger who has utilised social media to spread fun macro-focused recipes.
But what has really made Rosenman go viral is his videos about stereotypical junk food. In these videos, he takes the likes of Kit Kats, Nutella, and Doritos and makes them healthy. All through the power of branding and marketing.
And honestly, it’s pretty funny and not dissimilar to a lot of supermarket food that is branded as healthy or contains whatever hot buzzword is currently being pedalled around the industry, like ‘paleo’ and ‘organic’.
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@mattrosenman Replying to @kingjt555 @doritos veggie chips coming soon. What do ya think? #doritos #rebrand #foodlabels #eatyourveggies #foodmarketing
Good marketing creates ‘healthy Coke’
His biggest video is about ‘healthy Coke’ and has garnered 12.4 million views.
In the video, Rosenman transforms Coca-Cola into ‘Thrive Sparkling Cola’. According to Rosenman, the name doesn’t mean anything — it just makes the drink sound a little bougie as well as healthy and light.
The aesthetic is also dramatically altered, with the classic red Coke can being swapped out for a thinner tin that sports a chic 70s-style pattern with a yellow, orange, and brown colourway, completely divorcing it from the original.
But what about the ingredients? Rosenman first uses the fact that US Coca-Cola contains high fructose corn syrup. That sounds bad, but thanks to loose regulation from the FDA around what can be called a ‘natural’ ingredient’, the term can be used here.
It takes this a step further to inspire the name — Caramel Gold Bliss. It then drives the whole thing home by having the can highlight that the drink is ‘100% plant based’.
Moving onto advertisements, he encourages consumers to ‘return to nature with Thrive’ and highlights that it’s also gluten-free and contains low sodium.
@mattrosenman Replying to @xxlenteja Healthy @cocacola at your service. It’s time to thrive. #rebrand #healthfood #cocacola #healthysoda
It’s almost scary how quickly he can turn a literal can of high-sugar soft drink into a luxury beverage that seems kinda good for you.
But he wasn’t done.
One of the things I personally don’t shut up about is protein intake, and this is where he immediately reads me to filth, explaining there’s 10g of protein and 4g of fiber in each packet.
And with that, he introduces Reese’s Pro+ – a high-protein snack that has no cholesterol, is gluten-free, and contains no trans fats or artificial sweeteners.
@mattrosenman Replying to @deadmarshmellow @reeses Pro+ coming soon to a health store near you 💪#healthfood #foodmarketing #foodlabels #rebranding #reeses
Of course, the US and Australia have different laws around food standards and what you can get away with.
But this is still a great lesson in how marketers can harness buzzwords and phrases that are currently trending — particularly in the health food space’. Kinda like how you can charge over $20 – $30 for stock if you call it bone broth.
Suddenly, something pretty ordinary, or in some cases not overtly healthy, can be transformed into a product that appeals to a certain demographic.
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