Urban Eat. shortlisted for Sammies

UK food to go brand, Urban Eat., has been announced as a finalist at The British Sandwich Industry Awards 2023 (also known as the Sammies), for a stand-out student marketing campaign designed to relaunch its plant-based range, Roots.

A successful campaign strategy was built on extensive research into the target audience of meat reducers and excluders, of which Gen Z makes up a large percentage. Armed with this insight, Urban Eat. constructed a digital-led advertising and sampling campaign to build awareness of the Roots range to students up and down the country.

The brand targeted six key UK sites with high student populations. No less than 52 individual screens were installed in student accommodation across these sites, playing eyecatching imagery announcing Roots’ arrival onto the campus. The messaging and language in the digital ads were cleverly developed to resonate with the Gen Z consumer, along with a call-to-action for students to purchase the range directly from their university shop or café. In total, the screens had 3.2 million ad impressions, reaching 37,000 unique students. Samples were also given out to a whopping 5,000 students during bespoke sampling events.

This highly targeted approach impressed the Sammies’ judging panel, made up of industry experts from across the sandwich and food to go sector. The overall winner will be announced during the ceremony and gala dinner on 4 May at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

On being shortlisted, Abigail Nelson-Ehoff, Brand Manager at Urban Eat., said: “We are over the moon to be recognised by the Sammies judges for our Roots campaign. It’s work we’re super proud of, with some fantastic results and brilliant customer feedback. To now be shortlisted for one of the industry’s most prestigious awards is the cherry on the cake. Roll on May!”