&Walsh draws on TikTok trends to give cottage cheese a youthful makeover

Do you ever eat cottage cheese? Many people don't, and some have never even tried it. This soft, crumbly cheese is unusual because it's made by curdling milk, typically skimmed milk, giving it a mild flavour and creamy texture. Dieters, athletes, and health enthusiasts, in particular, appreciate its low-fat and high-protein content, and it's also easier to tolerate for some people with mild lactose intolerance.

In recent years, though, the appeal of cottage cheese has broadened, and it's not only people interested in nutrition who are buying. TikTok videos have popularised the sheer culinary versatility of cottage cheese, and food and beverage brand Good Culture is keen to take advantage of this trend.

Founded in 2014 in Irvine, California, Good Culture produces organic, family-farm-raised, high-protein, low-sugar, thick and creamy products that never use gums, thickeners, or chemical preservatives. This disruptive company is dedicated to using only real foods and simple ingredients across its growing portfolio of cultured foods.

More recently, the success of its flagship product has since led to expansion into other cultured food offerings, including probiotic-rich sour cream. Good Culture is a partner of 1% for the Planet, supporting soil health and regenerative agriculture, and is a certified B Corporation.

Fun and quirky

Developed by New York agency &Walsh, the new campaign for Good Culture is inspired by the viral cottage cheese trends showcasing the product's versatility. It celebrates all the fun and quirky ways people have embraced Good Culture's curdy goodness.

At its centre is a 30-second digital ad highlighting that fans don't just love Good Culture; they're obsessed.

"We discovered that there are communities, especially online, obsessed with cottage cheese, doing all sorts of things with it," explains art director Lucas Luz. "It was very surprising to see the level of engagement people have online, and this became even more evident during the production of the campaign. Almost everyone who heard about or was involved in the production of the campaign made a point of expressing their love for the product to us."

And the brand was happy for the agency to go down this route. "Good Culture was a partner open to being fun and quirky, tapping into our 'weird' expertise," says Lucas. "We were amazed by the crazy and fun ways people enjoyed Good Culture. These real-life examples became the foundation for our campaign, of course, with some creative twists.

"We illustrated Good Culture's versatility by showing a sequence of fun scenes, from everyday uses to unusual ones, like making crochet outfits for the packs or going on romantic dinners with cottage cheese."

Vibrant and sexy

The ad does a great job of capturing the product's versatility and health benefits for consumers in a snappy, attractive, and economical way. The bright colour palette, bold set design, and portrayal of enthusiastic cottage cheese lovers give the brand a youthful, sexy, and vibrant feel. And that's quite a feat in a sector that not so long ago was purely associated with health and weight loss programmes.

&Walsh created everything on the project, from the concept to the final deliverables. The 30-second digital ad tells the full story, with shorter films optimised for social.

"Our goal with this campaign was to make viewers understand why Good Culture was leading this cottage cheese obsession," explains Jessica Walsh, founder and creative director. "To do this, we explored all the ridiculous ways people love their products. It was great to work with partners who embraced unconventional ways to tell their brand story."