• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, May 12, 2009

A new campaign for French's Mustard combines a value offer and branding, promoting more mustard for less money at the same time it establishes a new tag line, "Happy Starts Here."

Starting now and extending through the summer BBQ season -- peak usage time for mustard -- French's is offering a 20-ounce bottle of its yellow mustard for $1.50. Normally, a 14-ounce bottle sells for $1.93.

The company is also offering similar value programs on the full French's line, which includes spicy brown, honey, honey Dijon and horseradish.

The 40% more offer will be supported by a two-page coupon FSI in mid-May in major newspapers throughout the U.S., as well as featured in the integrated marketing and advertising campaign.

Created by Euro RSCG Worldwide with media handled by MPG, the "Happy Starts Here" campaign employs swirls of the bright yellow mustard on food and consumers' faces to depict the brand's association with good times among family and friends. Shots of the 40% more offer are interspersed.

The advertising will appear on national television and premium cable from mid-May through August.

French's will also offer consumers quick, budget-friendly everyday recipe ideas on its revamped site, frenchsfoods.com, and is launching a French's Cook-Off recipe contest with a $25,000 grand prize.

The contest will encourage home cooks to submit videos and recipes through the site and a YouTube entry area, starting in June. Consumers will view and vote on the entries. The contest will culminate in a live cook-off in New York City in February.

French's Foods is a division of Reckitt Benckiser Inc., a global marketer of household, personal care and food products. The company also owns Frank's Redhot Cayenne Pepper Sauce and Cattlemen's Barbeque Sauce.