• by Tanya Gazdik , January 8, 2014

Just in time for the January diet season, Atkins Nutritionals is launching a new campaign starring English entertainer Sharon Osbourne.

The year-long direct response campaign for the weight management products is the first work from Lowe Campbell Ewald since being awarded the business in September 2013.

The TV and print campaign uses an animatronic rabbit and bird to make the point that people don’t have to “eat rabbit food” or “eat like a bird” to lose weight on the Atkins Diet.

What sets Atkins apart from other diets is that users can eat satisfying foods without depriving themselves and without having to count calories, said Scott Parker, chief marketing officer at Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.

“This campaign is different from traditional weight loss advertising in that it emphasizes the simple truth that you can’t lose weight eating like something you're not,” Parker said in a release. “You need to eat to succeed, which means reaching satiety in your diet.”

In the 30-second “Bunny” which launched Jan. 2, Osbourne is dining out with her bunny friend, who orders a small field greens salad with “light dressing and no cheese” because she is trying to lose weight.

Osbourne orders the pork tenderloin with creamy mustard sauce and cauliflower au gratin, much to the chagrin of bunny. When the bunny voices her envy, Osbourne says, “I lost 25 pounds thanks to Atkins, and I eat loads of delicious filling foods.”

In another 30-second spot, “Bird,” which launches Jan. 13, Osbourne runs into her bird friend on the street miserably pecking at crumbs – the bird is “doing a grazing thing” because “smaller portions are the key to losing weight.” The bird is “hungry but hopeful.”

Osbourne again touts her recent weight loss, crediting Atkins and its variety of sweet and filling bars, shakes and candies that allowed her to lose weight without starving herself.

Both spots cut to a call to action, via Atkins.com, where consumers can order a free Quick-Start Kit that includes three free bars, a Quick-Start Guide, $6 value in coupons and a Carb Counter. Bunny and Bird are converted, and the spots end with the tagline: Atkins: Eat to Succeed.

The goal of the campaign is to bring the Atkins lifestyle to more people, help them see the revolutionary nature of the Atkins approach, and how it can change their lives and give them the freedom to eat, feel good and lose weight.

The media buy includes CBS, ABC Family, Lifetime, AMC, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, Hallmark, and Travel. Print will appear in Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle and People.