Promotion of the Month – Subway taps three Australian Olympic athletes for Health Blitz
James Magnussen, Casey Eastham and Torah Bright headline Subway’s push as a healthy option restaurant.
The submarine sandwich franchise has launched a new Australian campaign which banks on “enlisting athletes who genuinely love eating our food, to help communicate and promote our health credentials,” said Gina Kahler, Head of Marketing, Subway.
Subway has chosen three high-profile Australian athletes – collectively known as the brand’s Famous Fans – and paired them each with their preferred sandwiches.
These are swimmer and 100-metre freestyle world champion James Magnussen, women’s field hockey midfielder Casey Eastham, and pro snowboarder Torah Bright.
In his TV ad, James Magnussen praised the Subway Club as his “personal best” and the fact that despite packing in meats like turkey, ham and roast beef, the sandwich only has 4.8 grams of fat. Watch his 16-second spot below:
https://youtu.be/VtO2i_UFC9c
Meanwhile, Casey Eastham said she needs to “eat the best to be the best” and pointed to the six-inch Teriyaki sub as her food fuel choice. Likewise,
From these videos, Subway sends out a concerted message that it is “The Official Training Restaurant of athletes everywhere™”, which is now one of the brand’s trademarked slogans seen on the subway.com.au website, TV ads and other promotions.
“The campaign recognises the fact that athletes everywhere, and at every level, choose Subway® to refuel after a workout. With its range of Subway Six-Inch® Subs that contain 6 grams of fat or less, Subway® Restaurants is a healthy on-the-go choice for athletes everywhere, both during and outside of training,” Ms. Kahler said.
Health-Conscious Trend in Australia
The campaign also seems intent on helping the brand capture a piece of what some reports suggest as a rising health-conscious market in Australia. Consumption of soft drinks and confectionery is estimated to be falling in Australia due to health concerns, according to research firm IBISWorld as reported by Food Navigator-Asia, while the nutritious snacks segment has been growing based on separate IBISWorld data as reported by SmartCompany.
The health trend has been driven by the high prevalence of overweight and obese Australians, which reached 67.4% and 20%, respectively, as of the latest 2007 survey by the World Health Organization. While not as alarming as the case of the United States, the relatively high percentage of overweight and obese Australians has led the government to launch health and active lifestyle initiatives.
Healthier Choices for Everyone
“Our Famous Fans will help to reinforce and remind people that Subway® Restaurants is a great choice for regular people and athletes alike,” explained Ms. Kahler on the value of the athlete tie-ups. “We have a great range of tasty Subway® Six-Inch® Subs that contain 6 grams of fat or less. These are great options for those people who are pounding the pavement and want to make healthier choices.”
Dispelling fears that choosing high-caliber athletes will alienate the casual sports enthusiast, Ms. Kahler said the campaign is geared towards athletes of all levels, “from the elite to the weekend warrior all the way through to the everyday gym goer.”
In fact, the main point the brand is making is that aiming for a healthier lifestyle should not equate to starvation. “Subway® Restaurants has an option to suit people’s active lifestyle and support healthier choices,” which the franchise backs up with sandwich recipes on wheat bread, and options to withhold the cheese and other non low-fat condiments.
Global Campaign
The athlete-centric promotional campaign is also in full swing in America and the UK, with international Famous Fans now counting swimmer Michael Phelps, speed skater Apolo Ohno, gymnast Nastia Liukin and racecar driver Carl Edwards.
How effective has the campaign been for Subway? While the jury is still out on the Australian market, where Subway has just begun its campaign, the popularity of Michael Phelps in the US market “helped Subway become the brand with the most positive brand buzz in 2010-12 per the YouGov BrandIndex ratings,” noted Forbes.com, ever since the record-breaking swimmer came onboard as a Famous Fan since 2008. Subway Australia is hoping for a similar brand lift from the endorsements of its three popular local athletes.
