Tomato sandwich. Tomato pasta. Tomato salad. It’s not easy to make people look for a fresh tomato by brand. But new US tomato brand, Pluck’d, is determined to conquer that.

The Virginia-grown tomato brand is on a mission to fix a category long defined by disappointment, with its first campaign, Pluck Around and Find Out, by agency, Iūquire. The campaign ignores category convention, opting for a social-first rollout designed to challenge deeply ingrained consumer expectations around produce. The effort blends irreverent humour, influencer-driven storytelling, and a product truth that has long gone unaddressed – most people expect tomatoes to disappoint.

Rather than leaning into polished food imagery or predictable freshness claims, the creative centres on what the agency calls “tomato trauma” – the all-too-familiar experience of visually appealing produce that underdelivers on taste. The campaign reframes that disappointment into a provocation, inviting consumers to try Pluck’d for themselves and see what happens next.

A series of 15-second spots form the heart of the campaign, designed for social-first consumption. Rather than a single centrepiece, the campaign is built as a modular video system, while multiple films bring the idea to life across different scenarios, from reaction-led “find out” moments to situational storytelling and more conceptual executions like “side effects.”

At the core is the “find out face”, a series of reaction-driven video assets capturing first bites and the moment expectations are upended. The work has launched as Pluck’d makes its retail debut to break into a category often defined by sameness. 

The campaign is the first work from lūquire and Pluck’d’s relationship, since the brand brought the agency on to lead brand platform development, campaign concepting, creative development and production, along with support across paid media strategy, influencer partnerships, PR launch support, and the development of a new consumer- and investor-facing website. It covers paid social, digital video, influencer partnerships, and social-first creative.

“Pluck’d exists because consumers deserve better than the status quo, but we knew we couldn’t just say that, we had to prove it,” stated Andrew Shields, CEO at Pluck’d. “This campaign is about giving people a reason to take that first bite. Once they do, the product speaks for itself, and that’s what ultimately drives trial, repeat purchase, and a shift in expectations.”

“We saw an opportunity to break out of the category’s sameness by leaning into a truth most people don’t even question anymore, that tomatoes are usually a letdown,” added Stephanie Spicer, president at lūquire. “Instead of overexplaining why Pluck’d is better, we built a campaign that invites people to experience that difference for themselves. Pluck Around and Find Out uses humour and real reactions to turn a simple product trial into something memorable and shareable.”

Credits:

Client: Pluck’d
Director of Marketing: Ben Alexander
CEO: Andrew Shields
Agency: Iūquire
CEO: Brooks Luquire
President: Stephanie Spicer
CCO: Glen Hilzinger
Director of Strategy: Elisa Becker
Creative: Jonathan Fernandez
Copywriter: Max McKaig
Creative Director: Stacy Randolph
Senior Art Director: Torie Sullivan
Junior AI Artist, Image Creator: Luke Draper
Senior Project Manager: Lauren Frank
Client Engagement Supervisor: Mikaela Mandeville
Communications Strategist: Maggie Carpenter
Associate Director PR: Clare Rizer
PR Manager: Amelia Page
Director of Media: Nichole Maggio
Associate Media Director Paid Social: Jess Ottaviano
Paid Social Specialist: Morgan Wagner
Executive Producer & Head of Production: Nancy Landesberg
Production Companies: lūquire & Rise Studios 
Director: Tom Morris
Producer: Amy Jolliff