Collagen maker Vital Proteins aims to expand consumer base in new campaign

Vital Proteins, a manufacturer of collagen-based products, is pitching its supplements to the masses with a new campaign targeting a diverse audience beyond its core millennial women customers. 

The brand’s “For Everybody With a Body” campaign addresses the many parts of the human body that it says can benefit from collagen—from skin, hair and nails to knees and tendons. A 30-second spot positions the products as helping people live active lifestyles with scenes of people dancing, skiing and even cleaning.

The campaign was developed in collaboration with New York-based creative agency Mythology, marking the first time the brand has worked with the agency. Ads will run on TV, streaming, audio, digital and social.

”What we learned when we did some insights work is collagen supplementation feels both complicated for folks and it also feels like it's for the few and not for the many,” said Vital Proteins Chief Marketing Officer Jill Abbott, who joined the brand in November from PepsiCo where her roles included leading Gatorade. “That's where you will see a casting that has an age diversification, gender diversification, racial diversification, really trying to showcase that collagen and Vital Proteins collagen is truly for everybody with a body.”

She added: “We want to start out our 2023 pretty strong with a welcoming message, a message where people are already primed to think about what are they going to do in the new year. They're trying to reevaluate a decision from the year prior and just think about how they want to go forth and in a new year with wellness generally more top of mind,” said Abbott.

Founded in 2013 and later acquired by Nestle Health Science, Vital Proteins can be found in mass retailers, grocery stores, chain drug stores and natural food markets in more than 25 countries. 

Collagen naturally occurs in the body, accounting for 30% of bodily protein, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which notes that "scientific research is lacking for most collagen supplements." Vital Proteins on its website states that "as we age, and the more stress we put on our body, the greater the impact on collagen production. Adding ingestible collagen to a balanced diet can help our bodies regenerate what's been lost or broken down."

The global collagen market size was valued at $8.36 billion in 2020 and is expected to rise at a mean annual growth rate of 9% from 2020 to 2028, according to Grand View Research’s Market Analysis Report. The largest category in the global collagen market is healthcare, followed by food and beverages, and then cosmetics.