• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer, 7 hours ago

Serena Williams, 44, isn't just making headlines with her astonishing tennis comeback. She also announced a multiyear partnership with Factor, a meal kit company owned by HelloFresh. Her brand debut -- an ad created by Maximum Effort -- came just after she announced her return to the game.

"Alright team, listen up," she says to a handful of her minions, who look tense as they wait for what's next. "I've changed my mind." Luckily, it's not about tennis. "I'm gonna have the truffle butter filet mignon," she says.

Factor's CMO, Christopher Stadler, tells CPG Insider how Williams will help the brand build its reputation for quality food: making healthy meals as convenient as possible.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CPG Insider: Tell us how this campaign came together. Did you know Serena was planning to announce her comeback when you started? Or was this driven by her being so public about using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss? She's the face of Ro, after all.

Stadler: We had been talking to Serena and her team for several months. And when we heard the news about her potential return to competitive tennis, we knew it was an opportunity that we didn't want to miss.

Originally, we planned to launch our partnership in September, but when we got the big news, we decided to fast-track the project, and called in Maximum Effort.

CPG Insider: The Ryan Reynolds-owned agency?

Stadler: Right. This was a cultural moment we wanted to seize, and they felt like the right partner to get us there fast. We went from initial phone call to concepting the shoot in about a week. That would have taken months with traditional agencies.

We shot this the day before she left to compete at London's Queen's Club. She posted it on her channels, as we did, and in the first five days we had 100 million views. We're up to 200 million views now. We couldn't be happier.

CPG Insider: Serena works with many brands. Did others do spots about her comeback?

Stadler: She only had two: Factor, and a Nike social spot. We're honored to be in that company.

CPG Insider: What is it about her, specifically, that makes such a good fit?

Stadler: She's clearly the greatest female athlete of all time, arguably one of the top three or four greatest athletes. We have very high standards about the quality of our food, also balancing that with nutrition and convenience. Our target audience is someone who doesn't want to cut corners or compromise, and she's a wonderful example of that. And because this is a multiyear partnership, we can build on that.

CPG Insider: Talk to me about protein, and the way people are approaching it right now. Many products are hyping their particular take on protein, and as a GLP-1 user myself, it's boring.

Stadler: The surge of GLP-1 use and protein interest is quite exciting for our brand. With Serena, the collaboration focuses both on high protein and GLP-1 support, and the meals are curated by her. We think people will fall in love with these menus. We have filet mignon. We have Chilean sea bass, and short rib and steelhead trout imported from Norway. We've invested a lot in these products, and that is what our customers expect.

CPG Insider: How does this partnership fit in with your partnership with Target? Are there other retail relationships in the works?

Stadler: Yes, retail is a part of our strategy. We are in 90 Target stores, all in the Midwest, and are focused on expanding within Target. We're very excited about it. They are a great fit for our brand.

CPG Insider: Grocery inflation is pressuring so many consumers. Meal kits have always been a pricey way to eat, and Factor isn't cheap. None of your marketing addresses that, though, while some competitors do.

Stadler: Our consumer is typically between 25 and 54, making more than $100,000 a year. They are uncompromising, and looking for delicious food. About 86% of consumers choose their food based on taste, so we want ours to be delicious.

Our heritage is as a nutrition brand, so making sure the recipes support a healthy lifestyle is important. We're launching a new platform called "Let's Eat Real," which focuses on our use of whole foods: lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and two servings of vegetables. Our research finds that 40% of consumers don't trust the ingredients in their food, and we want to address that.

CPG Insider: You also just announced a partnership with the long-distance triathalon Ironman, also focusing on elite athletes. Is that a different marketing play?

Stadler: Yes. We call it the Performance Collection, and it has two subcomponents, the Endurance Line and a Strength line. We couldn't think of a better brand to align ourselves with for those -- Ironman is such a trusted brand. We'll have Ironman athletes start using Factor at the beginning of their journey and throughout their entire training program.