Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s premier agribusiness and food companies, announced today it has named Battery and Havas Media as agency of record for its Dairy Foods retail brands. This announcement comes on the heels of the farmer-owned cooperative’s 100th anniversary and recent CMO hire.
Battery, the highly acclaimed Los Angeles-based agency, will be leading the charge on creative strategy and execution, while Havas Media will be responsible for all media buying and planning for the iconic Land O’Lakes brand for butter, cheese, and licensee products.
This is a key move on the Dairy Foods retail business for Heather Malenshek, senior vice president and CMO of Land O’Lakes Inc, who joined in September 2020, and has her sights set on elevating the company’s already iconic brands. Most recently Malenshek comes from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company and was recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s most influential CMOs in 2018 and 2019. Her career spans a wide range of brands and industries and features a track record of elevating legacy brands through modern marketing approaches and contemporary storytelling.
“Land O’Lakes has the momentum of an iconic brand and a 100-year foundation, and we are thrilled to unleash a brand-new creative idea to continue to drive business results,” Malenshek said. “We are in a pivotal moment in culture that demands the very best to connect authentically with consumers. Battery and Havas Media are the perfect partners to transform our approach and take our work to the next level, with their impressive roster of clients and success in building some of the world’s most powerful brands.”
The agency was selected from a competitive group of agencies considered.
“What set the Battery and Havas Media pitch apart from the competition, was their truly collaborative and inquisitive approach, and a creative idea that builds the Land O’Lakes brand through our product, while tying beautifully back to our unique and powerful co-op structure,” said Catherine Fox, vice president of Dairy Foods marketing at Land O’Lakes. “We couldn’t be more excited to start telling our story with this fresh new approach.”
According to Havas' 2021 Meaningful Brands study, expectations of brands are at an all-time high. Driving and striving for progress is not a new concept for Land O’Lakes, which has been a leader in the
industry since 1921. Today, Land O'Lakes is owned by over 1,600 dairy farmers and more than 1,700 ag producers and retail owners across America.
“Battery is excited to help one of America’s premier companies look toward the future,” said Anson Sowby, CEO and co-founder of Battery. “Getting to know the people of Land O’Lakes has illuminated how incredibly ambitious and collaborative their 100-year-old farmer-owned, co-op business model is. Part of the creative will be focused on positioning the Land O’Lakes brand in a way that celebrates the innovation and community that underpins this structure. Collaborating closely with their teams, we will leverage the farmer-owned positioning to drive meaningful connections and help grow their business.”
The collaboration between Battery and Havas Media leverages Havas Group’s unique Village approach, wherein creative and media teams work together, ensuring agility and a seamless experience for clients. Battery’s culture and entertainment-driven approach combined with Havas Media’s unique Mx process has led to the creation of long-lasting, meaningful brands.
“We are excited about the opportunity to work as an integrated team with the progressive and truly meaningful brand that is Land O’Lakes,” said Lisa Evia, managing partner and head of growth at Havas Media. “This new partnership reaffirms our brand promise to make a meaningful difference to brands, businesses and people, and will enable us to help the company achieve their aggressive business goals.”
About Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's premier agribusiness and food companies, is a member-owned cooperative with industry-leading operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. With 2020 annual sales of $14 billion, Land O'Lakes is one of the nation's largest cooperatives, ranking 219 on the Fortune 500. Building on a legacy of 100 years of operation, Land O'Lakes today nurtures some of the most respected brands in agribusiness and food production including Land O Lakes butter, Purina Animal Nutrition, WinField United and Truterra. The company does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Land O'Lakes, Inc. corporate headquarters are located in Arden Hills, Minnesota.
For more information visit www.landolakesinc.com
About Battery
Battery’s mission is to create impactful advertising with a philosophy that merges classic marketing principles with Hollywood storytelling and a Silicon Valley work model. The agency has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Fastest Growing Private Companies in L.A. three years in a row and celebrated by Ad Age as an Agency of the Year in 2018, 2016 and 2015. A lead creative agency of the Paris-based Havas Group, Battery has offices in Hollywood, Toronto and Shanghai and creates global advertising campaigns for forward-thinking clients.
For more information visit www.batteryagency.com
About Havas Media
Havas Media Group (HMG) is the media experience agency. HMG delivers this brand promise through the Mx System, where meaningful media helps build more meaningful brands. HMG is part of the Havas Group, owned by Vivendi, one of the world's largest integrated content, media and communications groups. HMG also consists of two global media networks: Havas Media and Arena Media. The media experience agencies are home to more than 10,000 specialists across 150 countries worldwide, with 62 Villages. For more information, visit the website or follow Havas Media Group on Twitter @HavasMedia, LinkedIn @Havas Media Group, Facebook @HavasMedia or Instagram @havas.
