Netherlands-based canned vegetables manufacturer HAK received a silver Effie for its Bonen erbij (‘Just Add Beans’) advertising campaign, designed to raise awareness among Dutch consumers of the versatility and health benefits of beans. The annual Effie Awards are among the most prestigious industry awards for the marketing and advertising industry worldwide. HAK was the runner-up for the ‘Most Effective Advertising Campaign’ award during a black-tie award ceremony at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw hall.
HAK began its campaign to raise the profile of the humble bean back in early 2015, since Dutch consumers are reluctant to add beans to their favourite dishes more often. The adverts feature Dutch Celebrity chef Herman den Blijker ‘intervening’ in Dutch households as they prepare their meals. The campaign shows in a fun and original way that it’s very easy to incorporate beans into your meals more often: you can easily add them to existing dishes in your weekly menu. ‘Just Add Beans’ are the three magic words.
Growth in bean sales
The professional judging panel praised the vegetables manufacturer for the effectiveness of the campaign: HAK has singlehandedly managed to turn the Dutch people into bean devotees.
HAK has increased its sales by 18% since the start of the campaign, boosting the bean market as a whole by an impressive 15%. And as far as HAK is concerned, this is just the beginning. Nicole Freid, the company’s Director of Marketing & Innovation: ‘We have many more exciting ideas for beans and bean dishes, and expect that our latest beans and bean casseroles – which are packaged in stand-up pouches – will only further boost the growth in legumes. Our products appeal to a younger demographic that is looking for healthy, convenient food options. We are confident that our campaigns and innovations will continue to increase the popularity of beans and further boost bean consumption.’
The Effie Awards are presented annually in the Netherlands for the most effective advertising campaigns. The Hoe HAK van Nederlanders bonen(vr)eters maakt (‘How HAK is turning Dutch people onto beans’) campaign was created by advertising agency ETCETERA in association with Creative Venue PR, Initiative Media and Social Embassy.
In a previously published interview, Nicole Freid sheds light on how HAK has been able to capitalise on the ‘healthy food’ trend through its campaigns and innovative new products.
