Snack brand, Simple Mills, announces absolutely nothing. Zulu Alpha Kilo’s first campaign as AOR for Simple Mills stand out.

Chris Colliton, executive creative director at Z.A.K., explained, “When things change, you make an announcement. But what if nothing has changed? Making a big brand announcement to proclaim ‘no changes’ was not only funny, it also let us proudly highlight the way Simple Mills has always done things. Big campaigns don’t have to be saved for moments of change, especially for a brand known for consistency and dependability.”

The US national Absolutely Nothing announcement does, however, come on the heels of the brand earning an official Non-UPF Verified badge – after changing absolutely nothing. 

The full campaign lets the US know that the brand offers the same non-ultra-processed snacks it always has, now Non-UPF Verified. The brand submitted its entire portfolio of crackers, cookies, bars, and baking mixes for Non-UPF verification, and so far, 60% of its products have already been approved, with the vast majority of products anticipated to be verified later this year. This verification was achieved without needing to reformulate a single recipe, demonstrating that the brand’s commitment to using nutrient-dense, minimally-processed ingredients in novel ways that maximize nutrition and flavour inherently aligns with the new Non-UPF Verified Standard.

The Non-UPF Verified label brings clarity as concerns about ultra-processed foods continue to rise although many Americans lack the ability to recognise them. According to research conducted by Linkage Research & Consulting for the Food Integrity Collective, 68% of people say they actively try to avoid ultra-processed foods, while 70% say they struggle to identify them.

“We’ve been dedicated to using nutrient-dense, stunningly simple ingredients like nut, seed, vegetable, and legume flours – whole food sources that offer nutrition, taste, and texture – long before non-ultra-processed was a topic of conversation,” stated Michelle Lorge, president of Simple Mills. “We’re proud to have helped pave the way and prove that snacks can be minimally processed, nutritious, and delicious at the same time. We know most shoppers want to avoid ultra-processed foods but just need help identifying them, and the Non-UPF Verified badge gives them a simple green light. It’s nice to finally have a name for the foods we’ve been making since day one.”

The full Announcing Absolutely Nothing campaign will include a series of high-impact placements – a full-page print layout in The New York Times; major transit entrance takeovers surrounding New York’s Union Square and Port Authority; large-format digital boards in Los Angeles and The Hamptons, and summer sky-banners targeting concentrated coastal wellness hubs, also in The Hamptons.

It will run throughout the summer and will be amplified through social content and ongoing partnerships with prominent health, wellness, and culinary authorities.