El Tuna Council del National Fisheries Institute (Instituto Nacional de Pesca) lanzó el lunes una multimillonaria campaña de marketing que incluye anuncios para TV, Internet e impresos con el propósito de impulsar la categoría del atún en conserva recordando a los americanos las numerosas virtudes de los pescados y mariscos no perecederos.
Esta es la primera vez que las “tres grandes” marcas de atún en conserva de EE.UU. —StarKist, Bumble Bee y Chicken of the Sea— se unen para ofrecer una campaña publicitaria de esta magnitud, según indica Gavin Gibbons, director de relaciones con los medios de comunicación del NFI. Los procesadores de atún de Tailandia también se encuentran tras la campaña.
La campaña se emitirá bajo el eslogan “Tuna The Wonderfish” (El atún, ese pescado maravilloso) “durante casi todo el 2011” según confirmó.
Está previsto que el lunes se comiencen a emitir, en la televisión abierta y por cable, tres anuncios de 15 y 30 segundos protagonizados por una simpática ama de casa llamada Joy que promociona el atún en conserva como un alimento nutritivo, versátil, cómodo y asequible. Los anuncios se emitirán por la mañana y por la noche durante programas de alcance nacional, como Oprah, Today, 60 Minutes, Conan y Modern Family.
En uno de los anuncios, titulado “Latin Lovers”, Joy proclama que “el atún es una fuente natural de omega-3 y es muy bueno para el corazón”. El anuncio termina con el eslogan y la página Web de la campaña: www.tunathewonderfish.com.
The other two spots feature astronauts and Bungeejumpers. The former claims tuna is part of a healthy diet, low in calories and can help keep your weight down, while the latter says tuna is quick and easy and ideal for an active lifestyle.
“Americans have been taking tuna for granted,” said Gibbons, adding that the spots are “a gentle, light-hearted reminder” that tuna is nutritious, versatile and convenient.
What’s more, the campaign encourages consumers to be creative and think beyond traditional uses such as the ubiquitous tuna-salad sandwich by introducing them to non-traditional meals such as tuna pasta, tuna tacos, tuna fajitas, tuna bruschetta and tuna paninis.
In addition to the TV spots, the campaign includes print ads in dozens of fitness, family and cooking magazines and billboards in health clubs, as well as the aforementioned website, which also debuts on Monday.
The Tuna Council worked with advertising firm Grey New York to develop the campaign.
StarKist, Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea have all stepped up their marketing efforts in the past two to three years in an attempt to boost canned tuna sales.
Canned tuna sales took a hit in 2004 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency warned pregnant and nursing women and young children to limit consumption of albacore tuna to six ounces per week due to the health risks associated with the neurotoxin methylmercury. But many Americans misinterpreted the advisory, and some stopped buying canned tuna altogether.
Since then, canned tuna sales have rebounded, thanks partly to consumers’ desire for value-oriented food items due to the economic downturn.
Canned tuna remains America’s second-favorite seafood item behind shrimp. Per-capita canned tuna consumption totaled 2.5 pounds in 2009, down from 2.8 pounds in 2008. But it hasn’t topped 3 pounds since 2005. In 2003, the year before the mercury advisory was issued, canned tuna consumption peaked at 3.4 pounds.
