• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, July 19, 2007

A Greek yogurt that has been around for 81 years--seven in the U.S.--has placed its first ad ever in an eye-catching spot in this week's issue of New York Magazine.

Pages 2 and 3 contain full-page ads. The one on the left features a Tourneau watch. On the right, the watch is seen to have sunk into something white and thick, leaving its impression. A small product shot in the lower right-hand corner shows it to be Fage (fah-yay) yogurt.

Mark Tillinghast, senior vice president at Ogilvy, which designed the ad, says he's never worked on a food product "with such a remarkable point of difference." He is unapologetically enthusiastic about it, calling Fage yogurt "unbelievable" and "unlike any other yogurt" because of its texture, taste and thickness.

The partnership with Tourneau, which he says was no trouble setting up, is the "ultimate product demo," and showcases the fact that the yogurt is very thick.

Up until now, Fage has succeeded solely through word of mouth and buzz. And not without accolades. Last year, Ad Age named the company a top marketer for having produced $35 million in sales despite a lack of advertising.

Fage, the second-largest food producer in Greece, decided to advertise because "they have a sense of awareness," says Tillinghast. "They know that if people try it, they love it. They try it, they buy it."

A similar ad, paired with Honora pearls, is set to appear in New York Magazine as well as in Hamptons magazine.