Turning a traditional spaghetti Bolognese plant-based or making meatballs meatless is now just a click away, thanks to a new partnership between pasta sauce brand, DOLMIO®, and Australian plant-based meat company, v2food®.
The trend of eating plant-based has been fast-tracked by the pandemic, with more people now looking for healthier food options.
“At the same time more people are cooking at home, and pasta remains among the top two meals made by Australians, whether feeding hungry families or a tasty dinner for one,” Mars Foods Australia portfolio marketing manager – Global Brands, Jade Lish said.
“In partnering with v2food, we want to give Aussies inspiration to turn their favourite pasta meals plant-based and tick all the boxes – Australian made, a healthier twist and no compromise on taste.”
To launch the partnership, a discounted $10 meal bundle will be available from Coles online, which provides a DOLMIO Extra Bolognese 500g sauce, v2 plant-based mince 500g and Coles durum wheat spaghetti 500g. There will also be Coles Flybuys shopper sampling.
A six-week Pinterest campaign will share inspiration for tasty plant-based versions of spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne and meatless meatballs. Pinterest has found that Pinners who’ve never tried plant-based foods are 22 per cent more likely to try than non-Pinners, and only 10 per cent of Pinners who consume plant-based foods are vegan compared to 25 per cent of non-Pinners.1
There will also be a social media campaign engaging influencers to create their favourite Italian meals using DOLMIO and v2 plant-based mince.
The partnership unlocks new shopper markets for both brands. Mars Food’s DOLMIO, a trusted family brand for 30 years, provides v2food increased profile among mainstream families, while v2food’s flexitarian audience will be reminded of the quality and convenience of DOLMIO sauces.
There is a growing number of Australians trying plant-based meat for the first time or integrating it into more of their everyday meals, v2food chief growth officer Andrew May said.
“A recent YouGov study found 63 per cent of Aussies were now open to buying plant-based meat as long as it tasted good,” May said.2
“Partnering with an iconic brand like DOLMIO, which is known for making the tastiest sauces, is a sure-fire way to deliver a delicious meal that’s guaranteed to satisfy everyone at the table, whether flexitarian, carnivore or anything in between.”
The partnership also aligns with v2food’s new Taste-a-tarian campaign, which is all about bringing joy back to mealtimes with tasty plant-based meals everyone loves. Whether dinner guests are carnivores, pescatarians, vegans or vegetarians everyone can embrace being a Tastea-tarian. Research shows 85 per cent of Australian adults would identify as a Taste-a-tarian.2
The DOLMIO and v2food partnership campaign commences this week with a Coles online $10 meal bundle available from 19 February, for one week.
References:
1 Pinterest Plant-based Research, Talkshoppe March 2020.
2 2021 YouGov research commissioned by v2food Australia.