'Values Matter' in Whole Foods' First National Ad Campaign

Whole Foods Market launched its first-ever national brand campaign on Monday, in an effort to position itself as "America's Healthiest Grocery Store."

Supported by its "Values Matter" theme, the campaign aims to highlight the origin and impact of Whole Foods' products, quality standards, healthy offerings and the Austin-based grocer's role as the "pioneer" of the natural and organic food industry.

“Whole Foods Market has been subtly telling our story for decades, and now is the time to overtly communicate what we’ve spent more than 35 years creating as change agents in the food world,” said Jeannine D'Addario, the grocer's new global VP of communications, adding that the campaign will foster a "deeper conversations with our customers so they can make meaningful choices about what they decide to buy and support.”

D'Addario joined Whole Foods in August from Stanford Children’s Health, where she served as VP and CMO.

To further support the campaign, Whole Foods has launched a dedicated website to offer visitors transparency and information through videos, supplier partner stories, product profiles and team member testimonials. Here, consumers can take the "What Do You Value?" survey, as well as rank a list of categories to help shape the company's community-giving days, store experiences and product offerings.

“This campaign will distinguish what makes our brand special, our food different and our quality superior," D’Addario added. "It’s our opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering commitments to our core values, which are at the heart of our brand.”

Whole Foods' new campaign, developed with New York-based Partners & Spade, is the latest of the grocer's efforts to improve transparency, provide in-demand information to consumers, and reaffirm its commitment to corporate responsibility.

Recently, the grocer unveiled its "Responsibly Grown" produce system, which assesses growing practices impacting human health and the environment, as well as its sea-to-table tastings series, and One Bottle One Tree program.