Beef Ad Campaign Kicks Off

February 15, 2001

Beef's increasing convenience is the focus of a three week advertising program that began last week nationwide. Two new television commercials are featured in the burst, which come on the heels of a one-month nutrition ad burst conducted in January in magazines and on television. Both are part of the industry's extensive "Beef. It's What's For Dinner" campaign.

The convenience commercials began airing on cable and network television Feb. 5. They will be seen by about 51 million women ages 25-54 -- the target audience -- an average of six times throughout the year. They will air about 115 times each week.

Coordinated by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for the Cattlemen's Beef Board, the campaign's two new 30-second commercials contain humorous scenes that show how convenient beef entrees fit today's lifestyles. In "Booster Seat," a teenager comes downstairs to eat with his family, finding his old booster seat in the chair. "Been a while since the whole family has been at the table?" the narrator asks, as the mother serves a quick-to-prepare beef meal.

In the other commercial, a young boy is walking down the sidewalk when he detects an aroma that he associates with his grandmother. "Grandma," he whispers, as he sprints down the street to his house, where he finds his mother pulling a quick-to-fix pot roast out of the microwave.

Consumers will see television spots on such cable networks as Food TV, Arts & Entertainment, Lifetime and Home & Garden. The commercials will also appear on "Good Morning America", "All My Children", "60 Minutes" and "The Tonight Show", as well as syndicated programs such as "Martha Stewart Living" and "Rosie O'Donnell".