• by November 12, 2008

Food scientist, commentator, author, celebrity chef and TV personality Alton Brown has now added "Polyphenol Pro" to his long list of titles.

Brown, well-known from his Food Network roles on "Good Eats" and "Iron Chef," has become the new face of Welch's 100% Grape Juice--as the brand steps up its year-old health-oriented marketing push to zero in on the specific benefits of the polyphenol antioxidant found in its product.

Brown's success in explaining complex food topics made him the perfect spokesperson for a new marketing campaign designed to answer consumer calls to "tell me more" by going "deeper with the science," says Chris Heye, Welch's chief marketing officer.

Brown was brought into Welch's marketing efforts by VIA Group, the independent ad agency based in Portland, Maine, which captured the brand's creative account in May. VIA's first major campaign for Welch's, which launched Monday and runs through March, features Brown in :15 and :30 TV spots running during ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and "Ugly Betty," Food Network's "30-Minute Meals" with Rachael Ray, and other shows on networks including ABC Family, NBC, Bravo and TLC. The spots are also featured on the brand's home page at www.welchs.com.

Heye noted that while TV alone would have sufficed for Welch's in the past, when it touted taste and targeted kids, the brand's repositioning to focus on health for the entire family and resulting need to reach Gen X moms has brought other media into the marketing mix. So VIA has also developed print and online creative for such outlets as People, Parenting, Women's Health, Cooking Light, WebMD and FoodNetwork.com.

While the new focus was already underway through Welch's former agency, WPP Group's JWT, Heye expects the ad budget to increase 50% as the health message moves to the "next level." In addition to VIA, Welch's other agencies include WPP Group's Maxus for media planning and Cincinnati-based hyperQUAKE for interactive.

Brown will also be featured on in-store advertising elements, and the brand's packaging has changed to include prominent mention of "Polyphenol Antioxidants" on the label.