Launching a new brand while staying true to the Mothership

When a beloved brand introduces change, everyone has an opinion. The highly anticipated launch of Whole Foods Market’s new brand, 365 by Whole Foods Market, was no different. From Wall Street analysts to features in high-profile publications like Fast Company, Fortune, The New Yorker and more, all eyes were on the launch of 365’s first store in Silver Lake, CA. Two months before the launch, Whole Foods approached Hydrogen, who had an existing media relationship with Whole Foods Market in the Northwest, to create and deploy a national brand campaign that carved out a brave new world for 365, while respecting the DNA of Whole Foods Market’s core values. Our “Glocal” media and creative approach featured LA Times web takeovers and sequential full-page newspaper ads to reach national thought leaders, augmented with targeted outdoor, digital, direct response and social media for on-the-ground local coverage leading up to the Silver Lake store grand opening. Supported by events including a pre-opening Parking Lot Party, new customers and the press lined up to be among the first to walk through the doors on opening day. After the first seven days, 365 by Whole Foods Market exceeded national Whole Foods metrics over the same period with a 38% increase in transactions, a 100% item count, and 47% added media at no cost.