As attitudes towards health – and the ways in which it’s marketed – continue to shift, Huel has emerged as one of the UK’s big brand success stories of the last decade. The company reportedly almost tripled its profits last year alone, and counts Idris Elba and Steven Bartlett among its most high-profile investors.

While meal replacement drinks like Huel aren’t without their critics (read: people who prefer chewing their food), the brand has gained something of a cult following among its core demographic of busy people who want nutrition on the go.

As it seeks to become more of a household name in the UK and grow its presence in the US, the brand has launched its first ever global brand campaign, Every Fire Needs its Fuel, just in time for everyone’s well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions.

The campaign is one of the first major pieces of work from Ark Agency, which was founded by former adam&eveDDB group CEO Mat Goff and Anomaly MD Mike Wilton last year. It’s also been produced by Magna Studios, the production company set up by ex-Pulse CEO Marisa Clifford and president Davud Karbassioun.

Soundtracked by Disclosure’s When a Fire Starts to Burn, the campaign film is directed by Phoebe Arnstein, who also helmed Burger King’s recent Bundles of Joy ad. Shot in black and white, the spot features the voice of UK rapper Outlaw the Artist to paint a visceral portrait of what 24 hours across the brand’s community of ‘Hueligans’ looks like.

While there are moments that feel like what you’d expect from a splashy fitness ad (the grillz shot in particular is reminiscent of a recent Nike x JD Sports campaign), what’s refreshing about the film is the breadth of the audience portrayed.

Alongside the devoted gym goers and fitness influencers like Russ Cook (aka @hardestgeezer), we see how refuse collectors, night shifters, emergency workers, farmers and even clubbers are neatly slotting Huel’s products into their daily routines.

The campaign’s hero 60 and 30-second films are currently running across TV, streaming sites and YouTube, along with social shorts and ambassador activations.

Credits:
Creative Agency: Ark Agency
Production Company: Magna Studios
Director: Phoebe Arnstein
1st AD: Isusko Garcia
Director of Photography: Spike Morris
Art Director: Saskia Martindale
Art Assistants: Fergus Lockyer, Matilda Greenwood, Nate Myers
Post Production House: Selected Works
Music Supervision: Twenty Below Music