• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, May 13, 2015

Weight-loss products marketer SlimFast has named Barker Advertising as its creative and interactive Agency of Record for its re-launch—now underway--which will be backed by a $50 million ad campaign. 

The award came after a six-month review involving more than a dozen agencies. Barker was selected over three other finalists including Pereira & O’Dell, DiMassimo Goldstein and Omelet in a process that included testing creative concepts among select agencies. 

SlimFast was bought by Kainos Capital from Unilever in June of last year. It markets ready to drink shakes, powders, bars and snacks to retail customers in North America, the UK and Ireland and will be rolling out new formulations in the coming weeks, the company said.   

“This isn’t your mom’s diet drink anymore,” said Barker’s  founder and Chief Idea Officer John Barker. “We’re taking one of the most iconic brands in CPG and reinvigorating SlimFast for a whole new generation of consumers. We’re giving it cultural context and relevance again, and we couldn’t be more pleased to be selected as their agency.” 

“Barker’s solutions are thoroughly modern and insightful, and they are just what we need as we take this legendary brand to new heights,” said Chris Tisi, SlimFast CEO. “Internally and externally, we’ve assembled an expert team of swashbuckling innovators, hard core package goods marketers, and leading edge branding experts to bring this brand not only back to the market dominance it historically enjoyed, but beyond into new categories.” 

The first work from the campaign is scheduled to launch this week. 

For New York-based Barker,  the SlimFast win is the agency’s first major CPG client since parting ways with Atkins following the sale of that company in late 2010.   Other clients include P&G, PepsiCo, NBC, Miele.