• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, December 29, 2014

Atkins Nutritionals is kicking off 2015 with a fresh ad campaign--with total marketing spending of more than $20 million -- to coincide with the launch of Atkins 40, a new low-carb diet plan that introduces a greater variety of foods from the start of the program.

The campaign, from Interpublic Group’s Lowe Campbell Ewald, promotes the tagline “Eat Well, Lose Weight--With Atkins Now You Can.”

TV spots start running December 29 on networks including AMC, CBS, Food Network, HGTV and Lifetime, among others. Print ads will run in People, Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, Life & Style Weekly and other publications.

Thirty-second spots will feature brands spokesperson Sharon Osbourne showing the variety of foods people can enjoy on Atkins and surprising a few individuals along the way.  In the spot titled “Farmer’s Market,” women are pleased to find they can eat Greek yogurt, fruit, whole grains and even pizza on Atkins. In the spot titled “Banquet,” Osbourne showcases the new Atkins candies as a way to enjoy dessert along with a menu including soup, a sandwich and fajitas. Both spots introduce new foods to the program including Atkins’ new line of low-carb frozen pizza and candies.

“The goal of this campaign is to awaken people to Atkins as a sustainable lifestyle where you can lose weight and maintain while eating a wider variety of delicious, filling foods,” said Scott Parker, chief marketing officer at Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. “We want to teach people how to live a low carb lifestyle by enjoying the foods they love, as well as learn what nutrient dense carbs they can enjoy as part of a balanced diet.