Asian Food Brand Settles in for an InnovAsian Occasion in Hilarious New TVC

Today, frozen Asian food brand InnovAsian builds on strong sales momentum with new TV and digital creative by Duncan Channon as part of its ‘That’s an InnovAsian Occasion’ campaign.

The new TV campaign serves up fresh, funny spots that build on the idea that there are countless occasions when getting an Asian food fix in minutes is the ultimate comfort. From being stuck in a ‘never ending renovation’ to ‘battling backyard vegetation,’ four new TV spots use humour and rhymes that play with the catchphrase ‘That’s an InnovAsian Occasion.’

Unlike other frozen Asian food brands that emphasise their bold flavours, InnovAsian is doubling down on a different approach: using humour to reach a mass audience, including households in the Midwest and South. Since the ‘That’s an InnovAsian Occasion’ campaign by agency of record Duncan Channon launched in February 2019, InnovAsian has seen sales lift 52%, according to Nielsen data. The InnovAsian brand has ascended to become the number-two frozen Asian brand behind PF Chang’s, growing its market share 2.6% and passing competitor Tai Pei.

InnovAsian has gained added momentum from an upswing in frozen sales during the pandemic. With Americans mostly stuck at home and reaching for convenience and comfort food, the frozen prepared foods category has grown 21% between March and November 2020, according to Nielsen. InnovAsian’s growth has outpaced the category - with sales growing 39% since March 2020.

“The first batch of TV spots were such a hit and did so well for the brand, we didn’t want to mess with a winning formula,” said John Kovacevich, executive creative director, Duncan Channon. “When we originally came up with the ‘That’s an InnovAsian Occasion’ campaign, what we loved most about the idea was its simplicity and longevity. We’ve written hundreds of funny scenarios and rhymes -- and this year, we found the ones that made us laugh most and made those.” 

Representing InnovAsian’s largest marketing effort to-date, the spots will run on TV stations in 14 markets with high demand for frozen food and lower awareness for InnovAsian, as well as on social media. As part of the TV strategy, two :15 spots will run during the same commercial break, separated by other marketers’ ads, to reinforce the rhyming message and drive recall. Viewers will see different combinations of spots - mixed and matched from a total of six spots - to keep consumers entertained and portray the diverse range of InnovAsian occasions.

“InnovAsian ready-to-heat frozen meals make it easy to put dinner or lunch on the table no matter what else may be happening in our lives,” said Debbie Curdy, VP of marketing and innovation, InnovAsian. “Duncan Channon’s campaign idea brings that to life in a fun and memorable way. We’re thrilled that the ‘That’s An InnovAsian Occasion’ campaign has been so effective in driving sales and brand awareness, and we look forward to continuing to build on this strong momentum in 2021.”