A new advertising campaign recently announced by Pete & Gerry’s brand Nellie’s Free Range is aimed at marketing free-range eggs.
The advertisement, titled “Life’s Better Out Here,” is meant to educate consumers on the differences between cage-free and free-range egg production and features children running outdoors, drawing a parallel with how the producer believes layers should have outdoor access.
While the campaign advocates for free-range egg production, it criticizes cage-free housing, stating that “it is not all it’s cracked up to be” and that cage-free hens are not free due to the lack of outdoor access.
Commenting on the campaign, Pete & Gerry’s Chief Marketing Officer Phyllis Rothschild stated, “These efforts will further strengthen our position as a leader in premium eggs, especially as cage-free legislation becomes more prevalent across the country in 2025 and beyond.”
Egg labelling and consumer confusion
Nellie’s campaign also touches on labeling in the egg aisle and how consumers are often confused about the difference between cage free, free range and other egg classifications.
Confusion on labelling of poultry and egg products is common, as consumers are likely to see a wide range of labels in the grocery store. According to University of Georgia Poultry Science Professors Casey Ritz and Prafulla Regmi, seeing a large number of options that all have a different marketing team behind them can cause uncertainty.
“Welfare-related labels on eggs or meat are confusing, or in some cases outright misleading,” Regmi said.
While many egg producers follow standards and utilize labelling set by recognized commodity councils in the U.S. such as the United Egg Producers or the National Chicken Council, other labelling certifications come from third-party or animal welfare organizations that have created their own standards.
Standards can differ from organization to organization, even if the labels use similar verbiage. This is why it is recommended that consumers perform their own research if they wish to know the differences between certain labels and claims.
