Lean Cuisine asked women on Twitter what “having it all” means to them. Last week, Lean Cuisine launched a new campaign called “It All” that claims that women set higher goals for themselves when they are in the presence of other women. Participants were asked to take a survey about what they wanted in life from categories including family, career, finances, health, education and others.
The diet frozen food brand then invited the same women to a mock store, where, in the presence of female friends or family, were asked to select life goals off a shelf as if they were grocery shopping. Lean Cuisine claims that 89 percent of women set more ambitious goals in the presence of other women, and 77 percent chose greater aspirations in the aspects of life they deemed most important.
Lean Cuisine took its campaign to Twitter with a promoted Tweet of the video and invited women to share their views on “having it all” with the #ItAll hashtag.
Lean Cuisine has always been committed to helping women achieve their all. What does having #ItAll mean to you? pic.twitter.com/uwy0LsWqag
— Lean Cuisine (@LeanCuisine) May 23, 2018
While many users responded positively, it appears the #ItAll campaign struck a nerve for some consumers who felt that the feminist message of the campaign was not sincere coming from a weight loss brand.
“Having #ItAll means not having diet food directly targeted at me because I’m a woman,” wrote one Twitter user. “What year is it again?”
“This isn’t empowering—it’s demeaning and insulting. Go back to your marketing team and try again,” wrote another.
Others questioned the brand for targeting only women with the campaign.
“How about not being asked about having it all. You know, like men,” one angry user responded.
Not all responses were angry, however. Some Twitter users expressed gratitude for the brand’s role in their life, praising Lean Cuisine for its lower calories and price.
I see a lot of people bashing Lean Cuisine as trash food and that they'll never dream of eating one of their products but for me, they've been a blessing. As a college student trying to lose weight they gave me pretty decent options that wouldn't end up in Freshman 15. #ItAll
— Fluture (@VCalouroV) May 24, 2018
Not sure about having #ItAll. But lean cuisine has helped me lose 70 lbs and longer am no longer pre diabetic.
— Edi North (@pdcedi) May 24, 2018
Interestingly, several Twitter users called out Lean Cuisine for attempting to get “free marketing” with the hashtag, even though the campaign used a promoted Tweet.
Amid the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, an increasing number of brands have responded with campaigns centered around female empowerment and the body image revolution. Lean Cuisine’s #ItAll campaign may give some marketers pause before jumping in on the trend.
