In the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, necessity was the engine of growth; with limited shopping delivery slots and restaurants closed, consumers looking for alternatives turned to food boxes in their droves.

These unique market conditions combined fuel phenomenal growth in the sector. According to data from the Fine Foods Guild, spending on meal kits and grocery boxes in the UK increased by 114% in April 2020 compared with 2019. 

The challenge for brands now is to lock in these subscriptions for the long-term and continue to drive growth as restaurants and supermarkets are open for business once more. This is where the latest campaign for Gusto, created by Mother comes into play; underlining the role of brand building in driving long-term loyalty, as well as driving brand awareness. 

After a year of significant growth that saw the recipe box deliver 25 million meals in the first quarter alone and double its workforce, Gousto disruptive outdoor takeovers in Waterloo, Kings Cross and Manchester, bring the power of cooking at home to life.

Created in collaboration with media agency the7stars and creative agency Mother, the recipe box company’s 70 metre takeover of the Kings Cross walkway is a reminder of the power of the ‘media takeover’; a tactic which ground to halt in lockdown

In 2020 alone, the number of monthly Gousto meals delivered grew from 2.5 million to 6 million and the brand is focused on growth in 2021. From extending its partnership with brand ambassador Joe Wicks to partnering with David Lloyd gyms the brand is placing health at the heart of its proposition.

Tom Wallis, Chief Marketing Officer at Gousto, explains: “Gousto is experiencing rapid growth, but we’re still scratching the surface of a massive opportunity to become the UK’s most loved way to eat dinner. Adding new, bold OOH formats to this year's campaign pushes the energy of Give it Some even further to really capture attention and communicate our industry leading variety. As our biggest brand campaign yet, we’re looking forward to introducing more home cooks to Gousto and driving mass awareness.”

Gousto is also testing new digital formats including YouTube mastheads and Sky Adsmart shoppable formats, in response to changing media habits after a year of restrictions. In addition the brand is continuing its investment in quality audio, continuing to sponsor podcasts from Katherine Ryan and The Joe Marler Show, as well as introducing new sponsored podcast features with The Guilty Feminist.