Carrefour Act For Food: Making Healthy Food Accessible & Tasty | Clapboard Ad Archive

Relaunching its global program, Act For Food

Description

In October 2024, Carrefour, in partnership with Publicis Conseil, launched an integrated global campaign to relaunch its Act For Food program across six European countries: France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, and Romania. This relaunch reinforces Carrefour's leadership in the food transition by emphasizing access to healthier and more responsible food for all, addressing pressing ecological and societal challenges. Building on the success of the original Act For Food initiative launched in 2018, which focused on democratizing organic products, improving product recipes by reducing harmful substances, and enhancing product traceability, the new chapter centers taste and affordability as key pillars of the food transition. Carrefour recognizes that lasting change requires meeting consumer expectations for taste, freshness, and price, and Act For Food’s updated commitments reflect this by promoting nutritional quality, product origin, seasonality, sustainability, and transparency. The campaign underscores six priorities including becoming the most affordable organic brand, offering the best quality-price private label products, prioritizing local production, expanding plant-based options, and increasing openness about product composition. The brand signature evolves from “We’re all entitled to the best” to “We’re all entitled to the best, at the best price,” signaling a clear focus on accessibility without compromising quality. This emotionally resonant campaign brings taste to the forefront, using a blend of one-minute and 30-second manifesto formats on TV and online video, supported by concise 15- and 20-second spots highlighting tangible proofs such as Carrefour’s organic and quality labels and local sourcing. The media mix includes social media, digital platforms, extensive outdoor advertising including high-impact event formats in key urban locations, in-store point-of-sale materials, and Carrefour catalogs, creating a cohesive and powerful ecosystem designed to connect with consumers and embed Carrefour authentically in their daily food choices.

Credits

Client

Carrefour

Agency

Publicis Conseil

Campaign Proposition

Carrefour’s 2024 campaign relaunches its global “Act For Food” program, emphasizing the brand’s leadership in driving the food transition by making healthier, responsible food accessible to all. Building on its initial 2018 commitment to safety, transparency, and democratization of organic products, the campaign refocuses the conversation on taste and affordability as essential drivers of consumer choice. This strategic shift reflects growing expectations for not just ethical and transparent food sourcing but also for products that deliver on flavor, freshness, and price. Carrefour positions itself as the facilitator of this balance, pledging nutritional quality, seasonal and local sourcing, and enhanced transparency, anchored by six key commitments including affordability of organic options and the largest accessible plant-based offering. The campaign’s market strategy leverages this insight by addressing a multidimensional demand: consumers want food that is good for them, good for the planet, and good to eat—without premium pricing. Targeting everyday shoppers across six European markets, the creative approach humanizes taste as an emotional and daily experience, using manifesto-style video content combined with factual vignettes showcasing Carrefour’s product guarantees. The integrated media mix—including TV, online video, social media, digital out-of-home, and in-store execution—ensures widespread visibility and reinforces Carrefour’s evolved brand signature, “We’re all entitled to the best, at the best price.” This narrative alignment seeks to deepen trust and relevance by positioning Carrefour not only as a pioneer in food sustainability but also as a practical partner in accessible food transition, resonating with consumers’ ecological and societal concerns while satisfying core purchasing drivers.

Creative Device

FORMAT#6 BENEFIT CAUSES STORY — Builds a story where the product’s benefit is the reason for the action or twist. This Carrefour campaign is built around the relaunch of the "Act For Food" program, positioning the brand as enabling food transition by democratizing healthy, traceable, affordable food with a focus on taste and price. The campaigns are described as manifesto films, emotional and close to consumers, highlighting concrete brand actions and commitments (e.g., best prices, local production, organic, transparency). The narrative centers on Carrefour’s concrete benefits—accessibility, taste, sustainability—causing the broader story of improved daily lives and societal progress, directly linking the brand’s actions to consumer outcomes. This benefit-to-story causality, rather than a classic plot or testimonial, fits FORMAT#6: the story and campaign only exist because of the benefits Carrefour delivers, making these the driver of the entire narrative and emotional positioning. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

Competitive Planks

Lidl – Market Positioning Lidl positions itself as a discount supermarket chain delivering high-quality products at low prices. It emphasizes efficiency and value, offering a growing range of organic and sustainable options under private labels. Lidl’s focus on freshness, sustainability, and cost leadership appeals to budget-conscious consumers seeking affordable yet responsible food choices across Europe.

Auchan – Market Positioning Auchan combines a broad hypermarket model with a focus on fresh, local, and sustainable food offerings. It promotes responsible sourcing, organic products, and multi-format accessibility. Auchan targets family shoppers by balancing quality, price, and convenience while advancing sustainability through partnerships with producers and transparent supply chains.

E.Leclerc – Market Positioning E.Leclerc leverages a strong value-for-money reputation with expansive organic and local product ranges. It promotes consumer empowerment through transparent pricing and supports local producers to strengthen its image as a responsible retailer. E.Leclerc capitalizes on loyalty programs and aggressive pricing to drive market share while advancing food transition initiatives.

Carrefour Bio (Private Label) – Market Positioning Carrefour Bio, as a private label extension, focuses specifically on organic products that are accessible and affordable. It differentiates by combining product traceability and sustainability commitments with accessible pricing, helping Carrefour secure leadership in organic retail within its broader food transition strategy.

Amazon Fresh – Market Positioning Amazon Fresh integrates digital retail excellence with food convenience, emphasizing fresh, organic, and sustainable food options delivered rapidly to consumers. Leveraging technology and extensive logistics, it targets urban, tech-savvy shoppers who prioritize ease and transparency in accessing healthier, responsibly sourced food products.