'Giant, disgruntled chicken’ - AHDB campaign adds £12 million to total pork sales

Independent evaluation also showed the campaign has improved consumer perception of fresh pork as ‘suitable for midweek meals’ by 10 percentage points compared to pre-advertising.

The campaign aimed to engage younger people to add pork onto their plates.

The campaign also enlisted celebrities and social media influencers, as well as joining up with retailers and independent butchers.

Strategy director Angela Christison, said it was hugely encouraging but the long game was to switch more consumers over to selecting pork more often.

“This is a particular aim with younger consumers in order to create habits, which will sustain the industry in the future.

“This campaign has attracted new consumers to choose pork by showcasing the ease of cooking this incredibly versatile protein.

“This is precisely what it set out to achieve and inspiring consumers in this way is building a new image for this delicious meat.”

Pig farmers

AHDB added feedback from pork producers has been integral in the development of the campaign.

Pig farmer and Marketing Sub-Group member, Fergus Howie, added: “This campaign has been very successful and is one of the best I have seen.

“It is a fantastic idea to stimulate domestic demand for the quality pork we produce.

“I know we have a great product to sell, this is a great way of getting direct to consumers and telling them what is good about it – from health to convenience, we are now getting more people buying pork.”

Work was currently underway to develop the next phase of the campaign, with a new TV advert hitting screens in autumn 2019 and early in 2020.