Forgotten Vegetables Sing a Rock Opera in Droga5’s New Philips Airfryer Campaign

Droga5 London, a part of Accenture Song, has created a humorous new commercial for Philips Airfryer, which sees leftover vegetables sing a rock opera to get a family to use food from the back of the fridge and transform it into a tasty new meal.

Food waste is a significant global issue that lives in every home. In the Netherlands alone, 33.4 kilos are wasted per year per person. That’s the equivalent of 138 euros. With six in 10 (60%) Dutch households owning an Airfryer, Philips is committed to helping every home reduce food waste.

In a category where fresh and delicious ingredients are heroes, Philips champions forgotten fruits and vegetables and shows how their Airfryers can help breathe new life into them.

The 30-second online ad features an ageing courgette, aubergine, and red pepper belt out a rock ballad from inside a fridge in an attempt to stop the dad of the family from replacing them with new vegetables. Through the lyrics, they urge him to eat them instead because, despite their wrinkled appearance, they can still be transformed into tasty family dishes with the help of a Philips Airfryer.

The commercial ends with the family sitting down to eat a delicious meal made using leftover vegetables, with the end line: “#AirfryBeforeYouBuy”.

The film, which combines humour with purpose, aims to change people's unsustainable behaviour with a sustainable solution by inspiring them to discover the potential of the food they already have in their kitchen with Philips Airfryer before buying new food.

The rock ballad was specially composed by Andrew Sherman.

The global ad, directed by Eros Vlahos through production company MindsEye, premieres on September 25 and will run online in the Netherlands and Australia across social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for six weeks. The campaign will also be seen in out-of-home activations during the first two weeks, starting September 25 and ending October 8.

Trix van der Vleuten, head of global brands and marketing strategy at Versuni, said, “We know that consumers prioritise immediate, tangible actions over distant future visions. They want concrete solutions and actions which can contribute to a more sustainable society today. In this campaign, we are integrating creativity, innovation and purpose into a tangible act of change; inspiring consumers by showing them that a Philips Airfryer can help both the planet and your pocket – making change accessible, limiting food waste whilst maximising taste, and turning houses into homes.”

Shelley Smoler, chief creative officer at Droga5, said, “Philips Airfryers give us permission to show that all those forgotten vegetables haven’t passed their prime. And what better way than getting them to sing a rock opera to make people fall for them? It is always great to show that a light-hearted campaign can change people’s perceptions and, in doing so, make a real difference.”