• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, January 19, 2009

Just out is a campaign that is introducing New Yorkers to a subscription-based gourmet meal delivery program via ads in print, phone kiosks, bus shelters, wild postings, online and FSIs.

The introductory effort from Nu-Kitchen's first AOR, ML Rogers, N.Y., contains no photos of the food. Instead, it relies on headlines over a white plate. Long Island City, N.Y.-based Nu-Kitchen is a subsidiary of NutriSystem, Inc.

According to a company representative, the choice not to use food photography was based on focus groups that consistently gave a positive reaction to the food descriptions--"a reaction well understood by anyone who has ever written, or read, a gourmet restaurant menu."

The campaign's words include a dozen different headlines, such as "knock knock. who's there? orange-chile tilapia with black forbidden rice," "gourmet delivery. comfort food price," and "gourmet sans guilt." Taglines are also rotated, and include "seared. sautéed. delivered to your door," "braised. glazed. delivered to your door," and "seasoned. simmered. delivered to your door." The ads also include an introductory, "first day free" promotion.

Print ads are appearing in newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times Sunday Magazine, the New York Post, Time Out New York and suburban papers.

Long-term, the service is expected to expand from its current Manhattan-only base to a national platform.