Truvia

Truvia is a relatively new sweetener, released in 2008, meaning that its marketing faces the tough task of answering the question: What the heck is it?

Truvia has chosen to answer this question with a cutesy little song.



While I find the song's total lack of poetic rhythm irritating, there's no denying that it also carries an infectious, folksy charm. Yes, this stupid little song will be stuck in your head for days. You'll despise Truvia for being "zero-calorie / guilt-free / no artificiality" but you'll inevitably know it by heart.

The song does an okay job of introducing the product. Gorging on sweets is a dilemma that I think every American has run into. Is there a healthy way to get your sweets, that won't "[make] my butt fat" or "land on my hips / or my thighs"? (The second line is from another version of the commercial with slightly different lyrics to the same song.) We can all recognize this feeling.

Moreover, the attitude of the girl singing echoes the structure of a breakup. "I loved your sweetness / but you're not sweet" and "you drove me insane" can be taken both ways. (Again, the last line is from another version.) And since most artificial sweetener buyers are women who have probably been through this kind of disillusionment with a partner, we empathize even more with the girl in the ad, and crave the relief of a trustworthy sweetener even more.

And yet, this certainly isn't the best route for Truvia's campaign. Who the heck knows what that "little green leaf" is? Who's heard of stevia? If you have, how many friends can you name who have? Can you count them all on one hand? Me too.

Truvia would be better suited by another common ad tactic, the fake conversation between friends. The same topics from the song could still be covered - the frustration with wanting sweets yet wanting to be thin, and the desire for something "guilt-free / no artificiality" - but there would be room to explain that Truvia is derived from the stevia plant.

Want to see a brilliant example of fake-conversation technique in action? Stay tuned for a discussion of Blue Buffalo.