5 ms·

Oatly: The New Coke

55 points by AndrewBissell 6y ago

misschresser 6y ago
Oatly is a successful brand and their marketing is clever, but that doesn't mean they are "The New Coke". Oatly has never pretended sugar is good for you, it's listed on the box, we all see it. And I don't think they should be put on blast for their use of canola oil of all things..and by the way nobody is drinking it because of the health benefits of that. The most effective thing they did from a marketing standpoint was an anti-dairy campaign. Their biggest achievement is making people go "Yea... cow's milk is kinda weird, why wouldn't I drink an alternative that tastes just like it". Coke, cigarettes, sugar campaigns -- They sold you on this idea that life can be more amazing if you just use this product. Oatly did something different. They said "Hey your life can be about the same as it is now, enjoying dope milk, but without drinking cow's milk like a weirdo". And it worked.
- AndrewBissell 6y ago
  I think my favorite example of a PR campaign along these lines came from the propaganda master himself, Edward Bernays: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torches_of_Freedom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torches_of_Freedom
- ricardobeat 6y ago
  Looks like you're ignoring the main theme here. People do choose oat milk because it is supposed to be a healthier or more sustainable alternative to cow's milk, but the reality is that it could be worse. Ignoring the GI for example is what would make it 'the new coke', like we did for sugar itself in past decades.
  - KitDuncan 6y ago
    Please share any sources that say it could be less sustainable than milk. There is absolutely no way this would be true.
  - turtlebits 6y ago
    I always thought the reason why people choose milk alternatives is they're either vegan or intolerant. Personally I find oat milk the least unappetizing.
  - stevula 6y ago
    > People do choose oat milk because it is supposed to be a healthier or more sustainable alternative to cow's milk, but the reality is that it could be worse. Surely the environmental costs associated with feeding and raising cows far outweigh whatever environmental impact of Oatly’s plant-based ingredients. Not sure about the health aspect though.
  - fragile_frogs 6y ago
    it is more sustainable: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042 and I for one don't drink oat milk because it's healthier, but because it's not cows milk.
tittenfick 6y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI
just-ok 6y ago
> Putting 12oz of Oatly into your latte and adjusting for the higher GI of maltose means adding almost a tablespoon of table sugar to your drink. That’s not a latte; that’s a glass of milk. > Oatly compares their sugar to the sugar in cow’s milk, but they’re not the same sugar. This was insightful, though, as it’s a rationalization I’ve made when choosing oat milk but it’s now clear that it was a misguided one.
- ricardobeat 6y ago
  A latte is a glass of milk with a shot (30ml) of espresso. Starbucks' sizes start at 12 ounces, and go up to 31oz.
  - aidenn0 6y ago
    Starbucks used to have a short, don't know if they still do.
  - chrstphrknwtn 6y ago
    Starbucks isn’t the standard for coffee. They’re almost more of a dairy and dessert company than a coffee company.
    - ricardobeat 6y ago
      I'd think it is pretty standard for the type of person choosing to drink oat milk.
      - just-ok 6y ago
        Oat milk is great for vegans or lactose-intolerant people and froths way better than the other non-dairy milks, so I'm not sure where the oat milk => Starbucks jab comes from. Either way, my local coffee shops started carrying oat milk much earlier than Starbucks.
cinntaile 6y ago
Interesting and well researched post, just a bit too narrowly focused on the health part. What I think is that people don't drink Oatly because of its purported health benefits, but they drink it because it's vegan and that fits their lifestyle.
- bjoli 6y ago
  The canola oil part seems like FUD to me. Of all the oils without taste that is probably one of the better ones. The studies linked doesn't seem great TBH...
King-Aaron 6y ago
lol at the one comment at the bottom. "I'm dumbfounded as to why you'd pick on Oatly". Boo hoo, its a well recognized product that lends itself to criticism. No need to be dumbfounded by that.
geofft 6y ago
Previous discussion (400+ comments): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24090492 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24090492 Also, > Put a tablespoon of sugar next to your coffee next time you have a chance and seriously consider if that’s a decision that’s “made for humans.” I sometimes do put a tablespoon of sugar in my coffee. Am I weird? I'm under no impression that it's equivalent to eating a celery and ten pushups, but I'm also not under the impression that it's equivalent to eating deep-fried ice cream, either. It looks like a packet of sugar is roughly a teaspoon (or 1/3 tablespoon) of sugar, and asking for two packets of sugar with your coffee is pretty common around here. Is three so far beyond the pale?
- Scandiravian 6y ago
  If you drink one cup of coffee a day, I don't think it's going to be an issue It's part of a larger picture and genetics also play a large part of it. Drinking one cup of coffee with one tablespoon of sugar is a lower daily intake than six cups of coffee, each with one teaspoon What can be problematic is if you forget to account for snacks/drinks when/if you consider your health. A tablespoon of sugar would roughly cover 2.5% of my daily energy requirements. If I start drinking three cups of coffee like that every day and continue my regular diet, I'll probably start gaining weight as I'm getting 7.5% more calories by drinking three cups of coffee If you eat a "deep-fried ice cream" every day, it's probably not healthy for you, but three cups of coffee with a tablespoon of sugar every day, is equivalent of adding a pint of Ben&Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream to your diet every single week (based on calories) - that's not healthy either
SOLAR_FIELDS 6y ago
The article hints at the choice of canola oil (popular in Scandinavia) but kind of underscores just how obvious of a choice it was for Oatly. I used to live in Skåne very near to the Oatly factory in Landskrona - there are enormous fields of rapeseed all throughout the area. I imagine that no other oil is nearly as cheap for them as canola. Tangentially, rapeseed is quite beautiful when it grows. During its growth season it produces beautiful rolling yellow hills in Skåne.
e40 6y ago
Not a single comment so far about a popular reason to consume oat milk: lactose intolerance. My son and a coworker both use Oatly for this reason.
moeedm 6y ago
Cheese, aka milk, is the leading cause of obesity in the world.
- brokenkebab 6y ago
  Doesn't sound particularly convincing, at least as a bare statement. Care to elaborate? Links?
listenallyall 6y ago
>> of course, cigarettes would help you stay slender There is merit to findings that cigarettes act as an appetite suppressant and as such, enable weight loss (or slow weight gain).

55 points by AndrewBissell 6y ago

Oatly is a successful brand and their marketing is clever, but that doesn't mean they are "The New Coke". Oatly has never pretended sugar is good for you, it's listed on the box, we all see it. And I don't think they should be put on blast for their use of canola oil of all things..and by the way nobody is drinking it because of the health benefits of that. The most effective thing they did from a marketing standpoint was an anti-dairy campaign. Their biggest achievement is making people go "Yea... cow's milk is kinda weird, why wouldn't I drink an alternative that tastes just like it". Coke, cigarettes, sugar campaigns -- They sold you on this idea that life can be more amazing if you just use this product. Oatly did something different. They said "Hey your life can be about the same as it is now, enjoying dope milk, but without drinking cow's milk like a weirdo". And it worked.

AndrewBissell 6y ago
I think my favorite example of a PR campaign along these lines came from the propaganda master himself, Edward Bernays: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torches_of_Freedom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torches_of_Freedom
ricardobeat 6y ago
Looks like you're ignoring the main theme here. People do choose oat milk because it is supposed to be a healthier or more sustainable alternative to cow's milk, but the reality is that it could be worse. Ignoring the GI for example is what would make it 'the new coke', like we did for sugar itself in past decades.
- KitDuncan 6y ago
  Please share any sources that say it could be less sustainable than milk. There is absolutely no way this would be true.
- turtlebits 6y ago
  I always thought the reason why people choose milk alternatives is they're either vegan or intolerant. Personally I find oat milk the least unappetizing.
- stevula 6y ago
  > People do choose oat milk because it is supposed to be a healthier or more sustainable alternative to cow's milk, but the reality is that it could be worse. Surely the environmental costs associated with feeding and raising cows far outweigh whatever environmental impact of Oatly’s plant-based ingredients. Not sure about the health aspect though.
- fragile_frogs 6y ago
  it is more sustainable: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042 and I for one don't drink oat milk because it's healthier, but because it's not cows milk.

tittenfick 6y ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI

just-ok 6y ago

> Putting 12oz of Oatly into your latte and adjusting for the higher GI of maltose means adding almost a tablespoon of table sugar to your drink. That’s not a latte; that’s a glass of milk. > Oatly compares their sugar to the sugar in cow’s milk, but they’re not the same sugar. This was insightful, though, as it’s a rationalization I’ve made when choosing oat milk but it’s now clear that it was a misguided one.

ricardobeat 6y ago
A latte is a glass of milk with a shot (30ml) of espresso. Starbucks' sizes start at 12 ounces, and go up to 31oz.
- aidenn0 6y ago
  Starbucks used to have a short, don't know if they still do.
- chrstphrknwtn 6y ago
  Starbucks isn’t the standard for coffee. They’re almost more of a dairy and dessert company than a coffee company.
  - ricardobeat 6y ago
    I'd think it is pretty standard for the type of person choosing to drink oat milk.
    - just-ok 6y ago
      Oat milk is great for vegans or lactose-intolerant people and froths way better than the other non-dairy milks, so I'm not sure where the oat milk => Starbucks jab comes from. Either way, my local coffee shops started carrying oat milk much earlier than Starbucks.

cinntaile 6y ago

Interesting and well researched post, just a bit too narrowly focused on the health part. What I think is that people don't drink Oatly because of its purported health benefits, but they drink it because it's vegan and that fits their lifestyle.

bjoli 6y ago
The canola oil part seems like FUD to me. Of all the oils without taste that is probably one of the better ones. The studies linked doesn't seem great TBH...

King-Aaron 6y ago

lol at the one comment at the bottom. "I'm dumbfounded as to why you'd pick on Oatly". Boo hoo, its a well recognized product that lends itself to criticism. No need to be dumbfounded by that.

geofft 6y ago

Previous discussion (400+ comments): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24090492 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24090492 Also, > Put a tablespoon of sugar next to your coffee next time you have a chance and seriously consider if that’s a decision that’s “made for humans.” I sometimes do put a tablespoon of sugar in my coffee. Am I weird? I'm under no impression that it's equivalent to eating a celery and ten pushups, but I'm also not under the impression that it's equivalent to eating deep-fried ice cream, either. It looks like a packet of sugar is roughly a teaspoon (or 1/3 tablespoon) of sugar, and asking for two packets of sugar with your coffee is pretty common around here. Is three so far beyond the pale?

Scandiravian 6y ago
If you drink one cup of coffee a day, I don't think it's going to be an issue It's part of a larger picture and genetics also play a large part of it. Drinking one cup of coffee with one tablespoon of sugar is a lower daily intake than six cups of coffee, each with one teaspoon What can be problematic is if you forget to account for snacks/drinks when/if you consider your health. A tablespoon of sugar would roughly cover 2.5% of my daily energy requirements. If I start drinking three cups of coffee like that every day and continue my regular diet, I'll probably start gaining weight as I'm getting 7.5% more calories by drinking three cups of coffee If you eat a "deep-fried ice cream" every day, it's probably not healthy for you, but three cups of coffee with a tablespoon of sugar every day, is equivalent of adding a pint of Ben&Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream to your diet every single week (based on calories) - that's not healthy either

SOLAR_FIELDS 6y ago

The article hints at the choice of canola oil (popular in Scandinavia) but kind of underscores just how obvious of a choice it was for Oatly. I used to live in Skåne very near to the Oatly factory in Landskrona - there are enormous fields of rapeseed all throughout the area. I imagine that no other oil is nearly as cheap for them as canola. Tangentially, rapeseed is quite beautiful when it grows. During its growth season it produces beautiful rolling yellow hills in Skåne.

e40 6y ago

Not a single comment so far about a popular reason to consume oat milk: lactose intolerance. My son and a coworker both use Oatly for this reason.

moeedm 6y ago

Cheese, aka milk, is the leading cause of obesity in the world.

brokenkebab 6y ago
Doesn't sound particularly convincing, at least as a bare statement. Care to elaborate? Links?

listenallyall 6y ago

>> of course, cigarettes would help you stay slender There is merit to findings that cigarettes act as an appetite suppressant and as such, enable weight loss (or slow weight gain).