Riviana Foods Inc. has launched “Savor the Little Things,” a new multi-platform campaign for its Mahatma rice brand that shifts the creative focus from the kitchen to the table, spotlighting the everyday moments and cultural connections built around shared meals.
Moving away from staged kitchen prep and polished studio setups, the campaign was shot in a documentary style featuring real people in real homes. The Houston, Texas-based company said the approach grew out of consumer research into everyday routines.
“We took time to dig deeper into consumers’ everyday lives and routines where we uncovered rich emotional territories that we tend to ignore with our busy daily lives,” said Jose Carrillo, marketing director for Mahatma. “Those insights reinforced our belief that rice is more than just a side dish. It serves as a cultural anchor that creates rituals, traditions, comfort and connection across cultures.”
Deeper connections
For grocers, the campaign is built to move product, not just impressions.
“In today’s landscape, connecting with consumers at a deeper level plays an important role in driving grocery carts in addition to functional attributes,” Carrillo said. “We’re anchoring our strategy in real human emotion to convert high-level brand awareness into consumer preference and repeat purchasing.”
The campaign spans connected TV, rich media digital displays, YouTube and social media in key markets, timed to seasons including back to school and Hispanic Heritage Month. It features both short-form content and longer storytelling spots, and Riviana said the effort has already garnered more than 24 million video views on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
The creative showcases the Mahatma line in both Ready to Heat pouches and traditional long-cook formats, available at grocery retailers nationwide.
Riviana is the largest processor, marketer and distributor of branded and private label rice products in the U.S. Its family of brands includes Minute, Success, Mahatma, Carolina, RiceSelect and Tilda. The company is a subsidiary of Ebro Foods, S.A.