The popular protein bar brand is having some fun while directly disputing a lawsuit that alleges its bars contain 80% more calories and as much as 400% more fat than labeled
It seems David Protein’s strategy following a shocking lawsuit filed in January is to lean into the controversy.
In a recent Instagram post, the protein bar brand co-opted a format from the movie “Mean Girls,” with its staffers rattling off nonsensical rumors just as classmates did to describe the film’s iconic figure, Regina George.
The video begins with the question, “How do I even begin to explain David?”
To the same music that the movie used, David employees in quick succession listed rumors including:
- “I heard they put Ozempic inside their bars.”
- “I heard they’re banned from Whole Foods for having too much protein.”
- “I heard their next product is going to be a low-calorie chicken sauce.”
- “I heard their ice cream is made from cows that only listen to Joe Rogan.”
In a clear allusion to the lawsuit, which alleges that David’s protein bars have approximately 80% more calories and as much as 400% more fat than labeled (based on testing conducted at an “accredited laboratory”), the video then finishes with the statements:
“Not all rumors are true. David is 150 calories.”
The popularity of David bars has largely hinged upon having one of the best protein-to-calorie ratios on the market and the success of its high-protein, low-fat, low-calorie marketing, with each product labeled to have 28 grams of protein, zero grams of sugar, 2 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs and 150 calories.
Plaintiffs, however, assert the bars contain as many as 275 calories and 13.5 grams of fat. But the protein brand asserts the class-action claims are baseless in a statement made to Athletech News earlier this month.
David’s ad appears to be taking a page out of Equinox’s provocative playbook, following the luxury fitness operator’s unusual recent campaign of AI-generated photos warning that truth is increasingly difficult to pin down nowadays. In 2023, Equinox launched an even bolder and more unusual marketing tactic when it turned away prospective new members looking to sign up on January 1.
