If You're Talkin' The Healthiest
6 Lessons from Oatly and the Landlord
What do Grime and oat milk have in common? A culturally fluent campaign that brings together a non-dairy giant and the UK’s ‘Godfather of Grime’.
Now, if you’ve been scrolling on your TikTok ‘For You Page’, you may have come across one of the most unexpected collabs of 2024: Custard by Giggs – vanilla custard for us non-dairy folks. It might seem random at first, but the balance of authenticity and humour in this campaign is a job well done.
It goes down in the DMs
Often, when we see Black culture play out on our screens, it feels forced or even downright appropriative. Other times we see brands like FAGE demonstrate inclusive representation like with their recent, ‘There’s No Going Back’ campaign, but Oatly has taken it that step further. This collaboration felt true to Giggs's public demeanour as serious yet playful, and the best part — it started in the DMs.
Here’s the backstory: Earlier this year, Giggs, took to social media to share his love for cake and custard—and his frustration as a lactose-intolerant person struggling to find dairy-free alternatives. In his recent interview with GRM Daily, he said:
“I grew up on cake and custard, but when my lactose intolerance kicked in when I was around 8 years old and started making me sick, the dessert I loved had to leave my life. When I found out my son was lactose intolerant too, we used to go all over the place looking for dairy-free alternatives so he wouldn’t miss out. There’s not a lot of options out there, but one day we found Oatly’s Vanilla Custard, and it tasted banging … Not enough people know about it, so I reached out to Oatly, and here we are a few months later…”
The importance of inclusive insights
The key insight behind this campaign is that trying to find a desert that is lactose-free, is an experience of people from Black communities – we just don’t speak about it. Oatly backed the insight up with data, commissioning research that uncovered some telling statistics:
7.5 million people in the UK self-identify as lactose intolerant.
Individuals of Black heritage are more than twice as likely to report lactose intolerance compared to White groups.
67% miss out on their favourite desserts, and 68% struggle to find dairy-free options in supermarkets, shops, or restaurants
The sweet spot
Oatly didn’t just stop at the DM or the data—they turned insights into action, and they became the foundation for the campaign. Armed with the findings, they partnered with Giggs to create content and a limited-edition pop-up activation. The main attraction? A dairy-free cake and custard kit featuring Oatly’s Vanilla Custard, custom tableware, and nostalgic vibes served at Ayres Bakery in Peckham—Giggs’ hometown.
The reaction to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly among Black communities affected by lactose intolerance, who felt seen and represented:
Even this TikToker hailed the collaboration as the “collab of the year”:
It’s so good to see Black people in a campaign where they can just be themselves. I didn’t cringe at seeing uncles clapping dominoes (if you know, you know) or the aunty using a crowbar to open a delivery of Oatly’s vanilla custard to the café.
Milking it?
Oatly is rightly receiving a lot of praise for responding to a DM from Giggs.
However, brands need not wait until an opportunity drops into their DMs. Lactose intolerance for example is the most common food intolerance experienced in the UK according to the NHS.
And research shows that nearly 90% of South Asians are thought to be lactose intolerant. This is striking when you consider how dairy products like yoghurt are a staple in South Asian cuisines, used in curries, marinades and savoury dips.
Clearly, the versatility of this category presents opportunities for food brands to provide tasty options for people with different cultural expectations. But perhaps most importantly, if your product supports a commonly experienced ailment, going beyond the mainstream, to reach underrepresented audiences too, makes good business sense.
Health is wealth
Food intolerances are just the tip of the iceberg. More consumers are gravitating towards a focus on health and wellness. Research shows that 4 in 5 consumers plan to buy new wellness products by the end of 2025, but only half of British and American consumers, are satisfied with their current health status. This speaks to a critical gap in where people want to be in their health journey and the steps needed to get there – brands, this is where you come in.
If 3 in 5 people in the UK are actively trying to eat healthier, there’s a clear trend in people becoming more health conscious. More brands can use marketing, to help consumers with different lived experiences reach their health and fitness goals.
What’s the impact?
The Oatly x Giggs collaboration shows that listening and taking on feedback is the key to creating campaigns that push the envelope – not just trying to be different. It’s not just about selling a product; it’s about shedding light on the stories that are often ignored.
Brands take note: don’t just follow trends. Invest the time in understanding your audiences, identify the gaps, and get stuck in where you can. Health and wellness aren’t just buzzwords any more —they’re shaping purchasing decisions. Whether in food, fashion, or tech, it’s time to adjust your strategies accordingly.
Brands with solutions for common intolerances, ailments, and health conditions must broaden their perspectives and go beyond the mainstream to reach new audiences. An inclusive approach to your marketing and communications isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the way forward to reach your whole audience.
And if you need a fresh perspective to create campaigns that hit home. Let’s break the ice.
