From greenqueen.com.hk
Italian plant-based cheese start-up Dreamfarm flooded the streets of Milan with tourists featuring cow masks as part of a new marketing campaign.
The Milanese were amused last Wednesday.
A group of tourists sporting cow masks and vacation-ready attire took to the streets between Piazza Cordusio and Castello Sforzesco, causing confusion in Italy’s fashion capital.
In reality, these were actors participating in a guerrilla marketing stunt as part of a new campaign by dairy-free cheese firm Dreamfarm. The idea, it says, is to “finally” send cows on a well-deserved break this summer, since they’re no longer needed to produce great-tasting cheese.
The idea behind Dreamfarm’s marketing drive
Dreamfarm’s The Cows Go on Vacation drive was dreamt up by Al.ta Agency, a food-focused communications firm launched last year by the media company Al.ta Cucina.
The integrated campaign features what Dreamfarm and AI.ta Agency call “an ironic and unexpected tone”. “Our choice was to tell the story of plant-based living without divisive tones or shocking imagery,” the companies said in a joint statement.
“Instead, we opted for a sunny, symbolic, and light-hearted provocation – one that sparks reflection with a smile, about the positive change Dreamfarm aims to create.”
In Milan, the actors wore Hawaiian shirts, Bermuda shorts, fanny packs and sandals to exude the vacation vibes, paired with cameras and the cow masks. The group of ‘tourists’ was led by a guide holding a branded sign with the words “Dreamfarm Vacation Group”.
The stunt caught the attention of passersby – whether local residents or actual tourists – who pulled out their phones to take images and videos, driving user-generated content to promote Dreamfarm.
Before the Milan march, plant-based influencers and creators were sent a kit to amplify the activation. And in the days since, Dreamfarm will post short videos on its online channels, documenting the cows’ departure for holiday, from train stations and packed trunks to selfies near monuments.
Young Italians driving the plant-based shift
The company’s use of influencer marketing and a campaign made for social media is a shrewd move, as it will likely capture the attention of young Italians, a key demographic for plant-based brands.
According to a 2024 report by the retailer Coop, 82% of 17- to 35-year-olds are driving the adoption of plant-based diets out of health and climate concerns. This group, titled the Explorers, is leading the shift towards flexitarianism in the country.
Another key opportunity in Italy’s vegan market lies with challenger brands reinventing classics with a sustainable and health-forward twist. “This movement spans across the plant-based dairy, meat, and dessert sectors, blending modern innovation with culinary excellence,” Felippe Fontanelli, founder of the Virtuous Food Revolution Alliance, wrote last year.
This is where Dreamfarm comes in. The company uses almonds and cashews to make clean-label dairy-free alternatives to classics like mozzarella, ricotta, and stracciatella, each with a Nutri-Score A rating. Last month, it debuted vegan Ciliegine (or mini mozzarella balls) at the TuttoFood fair in Milan.
The company raised €5M in funding in 2023, and its products are available in Esselunga, Coop, and Conad in Italy, as well as retailers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Other plant-based dairy brands challenging the status quo in Italy include Heaven and SQUP. “For companies with vision and commitment, Italy represents one of the most dynamic opportunities in Europe’s plant-based landscape – a market with incredible growth potential for those ready to invest in its future,” said Fontanelli.
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/dreamfarm-vegan-cheese-plant-based-italy-cows-vacation/
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