Grey unveils Findus vegetable line with Formula One focus

April 19, 2002

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1 minute

Grey unveils Findus vegetable line with Formula One focus

Grey Worldwide is launching a new frozen vegetable range for Findus with a television campaign that plays on the popularity of Formula One motor racing to attract a core target audience of 24- to 45-year-olds.

The 20- and ten-second spots open with vegetables speeding around like racing cars, with accompanying sound effects and crunches as they crash into each other. The camera pulls back to reveal that the vegetables are actually in a wok, being prepared by a young man, while his girlfriend plays a computer game.

The range has already been launched in Sweden, and the media buying and planning agency MediaCom is rolling out the "wok of life

campaign in the UK on 22 April, as well as in the Republic of Ireland, France, Spain, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The TV campaign comes as Findus continues to compete with Birds Eye Wall's enjoy! frozen ready-meal range.

Enjoy! launched in January 2001, backed by a £20 million marketing spend with above-the-line advertising through McCann-Erickson. Findus responded with the launch of its Feeling Great! range.

The "wok of life

ads were written by Stuart Wilson and art directed by Mary Roberts. They were directed by Nick Livesey through RSA.

Findus was due to be scrapped by former parent company Nestle before a Swedish investment company, EQT, stepped in to buy the ailing brand in 1999. The company appointed Grey to work on its £10 million pan-European account in March 2001, and the agency launched the company's first TV campaign for four years to promote the launch of a children's product, Cod Crispies, soon after.

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Marketing