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Dive Brief:
Graza, the olive oil brand, launched its largest paid marketing campaign to date, titled “Seriously Serious,” designed to mark its introduction into the mayonnaise category, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
A series of TV spots highlight how Graza is bringing its olive oil expertise to the mayonnaise category, including through rigorous testing and the development of over 150 formulas. The effort was created in partnership with agency Nice&frank.
“Seriously Serious” debuted March 3 on streaming platforms and will later include out-of-home ads. Graza will also serve as the official grand prize sponsor for the latest season of Bravo’s “Top Chef” in effort to further its connection with chefs.
Dive Insight:
Graza, the privately owned olive oil brand founded in 2021, is reinforcing its quality-first approach for its largest paid campaign yet, an effort that also marks its entrance into the mayonnaise category. A focus on the care that goes into its products could help Graza grow consumer loyalty as the brand attempts to compete with giants like Hellmann’s and Kraft Heinz.
Key to “Seriously Serious” are multiple national spots — each available in 30-, 15- and six-second cuts — that use absurdist humor to spotlight the intensity behind Graza’s approach to the formulation of its products. The ads were directed by Elliott Power of boutique production company Love Song in collaboration with Nice&frank.
The first spot, “Spoons,” features 22,353 testing spoons before showing Garcia, a fictitious employee who went through those spoons while perfecting Graza’s mayonnaise recipe. A second spot, “Testing Twins,” tells the story of two twin “master testers” whose only job is to test olive oil. A third spot, “The Harvest,” illustrates the brand’s commitment to getting its timing right.
Graza will also serve as the grand prize sponsor and olive oil partner for season 23 of Bravo’s reality cooking competition “Top Chef,” which begins airing March 9. For the effort, the brand will award $250,000 to the season’s winning chef. The effort is intended to grow the brand’s connection to home cooks — the original target audience for the brand — and elite chefs alike.
Along with its extensive marketing push, Graza last week also revealed its new status as the Official Olive Oil and Mayonnaise of NASCAR, a move that builds on its recently announced partnership with RFK Racing, a stock car organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. Through the tie-up, Graza will bring a custom food truck concept to multiple race weekends and will leverage NASCAR’s integrated marketing ecosystem to boost its reach. Other brands, including 818 Tequila and Chili’s, have similarly looked to engage racing fans.
Graza is the fifth-largest olive oil brand in the U.S. and is available in over 28,000 retail locations nationwide, according to press details. The brand’s olive oil mayo, which includes two varieties, and new garlic-flavored aioli are rolling out now at Whole Foods Market locations in the U.S.
Dining and Cooking