Daring Foods is kicking off 2022 with a New York Times ad campaign asking readers to help reform the chicken industry. We spoke with the company’s founder about the reasons behind the campaign.
Chicken is the most widely consumed meat product in the US, with the average American consuming over 65 pounds every year, Daring says.
Fixing the industry
In several full-page ads, the plant-based chicken brand calls attention to some of the worst environmental offences and ethical abuses found in commercial poultry production. Most prominently, industrial farms produce an enormous carbon footprint, emit huge amounts of pollution, and frequently contaminate groundwater with toxic runoff.
As a solution, Daring invites readers to switch from conventional chicken products to the company’s protein-rich, plant-based alternatives that offer the same taste and enjoyment with fewer environmental impacts.
Commenting on why Daring brought its message to the New York Times, founder and CEO Ross Mackay says, “To drive change in our food system, we need to create phenomenal Daring products that people love, but we also have to educate consumers about the issues putting our health and planet at risk. The New York Times is one of the most widely read and trusted newspapers in the United States, and so it’s the perfect outlet to reach chicken-lovers around the country.”
Premium plant-based chicken
Founded in Scotland in 2018, Daring Foods has quickly become a leading meat alternative brand by making premium animal-free chicken using only a handful of simple ingredients.
The company experienced strong success in the UK before launching in the US via foodservice distributor Rastelli Group. Since then, Daring has seen massive year-over-year growth, and is now available in thousands of major retail stores including Costco, Whole Foods and Walmart.
The brand has raised over $120 million to date and attracted a number of celebrity investors including Drake, Steve Aoki, Cameron Newton and Naomi Osaka.
With the new ad campaign, Daring says the company’s mission to re-invent the chicken industry has only just begun.
“2022 will be another year of tremendous growth and innovation for plant-based meat… At Daring, we’re particularly excited to launch at new foodservice locations around the US and to start testing new products that better mimic whole-muscle cuts of animal meat,” says Mackay. “In everything we do this year, we are working toward our mission to make plant chicken that’s so delicious, nutritious, convenient, and versatile that we’re able to remove animal chicken from our food system entirely.”
