La Vie and Beyond Meat have collaborated to encourage other plant-based brands to adopt and adapt their innovative advertising format, known as product-swapped, by featuring an animal of their choice. This initiative builds upon prior joint creative campaigns and aims to challenge traditional competitive norms by uniting brands around the shared mission of promoting animal welfare and better food choices.

The campaign originated from two notable advertisements: one by French brand La Vie starring a rescue pig named Léon, and another by Beyond Meat featuring a cow called Barbara. Both commercials depict the animals watching a man preparing and eating what appears to be meat, before revealing with the tagline, “relax, it’s plant-based.” This concept initially sparked a playful spoof copycat exchange as an April Fool’s stunt earlier this month.

Now, La Vie and Beyond Meat are inviting other vegan brands to reinterpret the campaign with their own creative perspective and relevant modifications. Brands such as This, Juicy Marbles, and Heura have already engaged with the campaign, with additional advertisements expected in the coming weeks. La Vie has even published a tongue-in-cheek ‘copyright waiver thingy’ on its social media channels and website, granting permission to reuse the creative format.

La Vie described the campaign as both “a creative provocation and a powerful demonstration of what cross-brand collaboration can look like in a category under pressure.” The plant-based food sector has faced declining sales in recent years, and this campaign aims to reinvigorate interest while fostering a spirit of diversity, solidarity, and a touch of mischief among brands.

Romain Jolivet, La Vie’s chief marketing officer, said the campaign “was never meant to stay ours” but was about “a shared message and common purpose.” He expressed that the visual concept “makes people stop, smile, and think” and added, “When we saw Beyond Meat had been playing with the same idea, we realised something bigger was happening – and we had the opportunity to turn it into a movement.”

Beyond Meat’s general manager for EMEA, Rob Bennett, commented on the partnership, saying, “Our collaboration with La Vie underscores our shared commitment to animal welfare and making better food choices. By combining our great-tasting plant-based burger with their innovative plant-based bacon, we’re offering consumers a delicious meal that aligns with their values.”

This campaign represents a notable example of creativity and cooperative strategy within the plant-based food industry, positioning La Vie as a leader both in marketing innovation and in reshaping competitive dynamics within the sector.