{"id":53254,"date":"2021-02-25T08:41:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T13:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254"},"modified":"2021-02-28T07:12:39","modified_gmt":"2021-02-28T12:12:39","slug":"meet-sugar-panda-ryan-reynolds-gross-anti-sugar-mascot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254","title":{"rendered":"Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The anti-sugar movement has a new mascot, courtesy of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meet Sugar Panda!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53265 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Sugar-Panda-GIF.gif\" alt=\"Sugar Panda GIF\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This cartoon panda is far from adorable. His eyes are baggy. His skinny-fat physique is unsightly. His dental hygiene is simply appalling. Frankly, he\u2019s a mess. He\u2019s a junkie, in fact, a sad sack whose health has been slowly ravaged by decades of sugar addiction. Sugar Panda doesn\u2019t \u201ceat\u201d sugar. He \u201cdoes\u201d sugar.<\/p>\n<p>Sugar Panda is the new mascot for <a href=\"https:\/\/highkey.com\/\">HighKey<\/a>, the popular low-carb bakery best known for its mini cookies. He is also the brainchild of Maximum Effort, the marketing agency founded by actor Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds uploaded HighKey\u2019s first Sugar Panda ad to his own YouTube channel last week, just in time for Valentine\u2019s Day:<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-video widescreen youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Highkey Romantic\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pzHzh50gwtg?feature=oembed&#038;showinfo=0&#038;rel=0&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;iv_load_policy=3&#038;playsinline=1&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the ad, Sugar Panda interrupts a couple enjoying a romantic Valentine\u2019s Day hot tub session, and awkwardly tempts them (\u201cYou guys wanna do some sugar?\u201d) with a heart-shaped box of chocolates. He is dismayed to learn that the couple has already planned on enjoying HighKey\u2019s low-sugar treats. He flashes a stupid grin, and a single yellowed tooth tumbles out of his mouth.<\/p>\n<p>The second half of the video flips to a mockery of prescription medicine advertising: \u201cBefore deciding if sugar is right for your Valentine, ask yourself if you like them even a little bit. Overconsumption of added sugar can lead to diabetes and heart disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I spoke to Rocio Gordon, HighKey\u2019s Chief Marketing Officer, about the campaign. She told me that the company is pretty serious about its anti-sugar message. \u201cSugar Panda is truly a cautionary tale about what can happen when we eat too much sugar\u2026 this ad is challenging all Americans to eliminate sugar from their diets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s remarkable about the campaign is how aggressive it is. HighKey approached Reynolds and his collaborators knowing that it wanted a startling and provoking message: \u201cWe knew that we needed an out-of-the-box delivery to cut through the clutter and convey the message of ditching sugar from the American diet.\u00a0The brief to Maximum Effort for this campaign was simple: disrupt. From the beginning of the creation process, Sugar Panda was born. His personality allowed us to deliver the message in an unexpected, disruptive way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lfOG4DUdFs0\">second video<\/a> [parents beware\u2014the humor and language are <em>very<\/em> mature] quickly explores Sugar Panda\u2019s history of addiction and denial. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing sugar since I was a kid\u2014and I\u2019m crushing life!\u201d, the panda exclaims, eyes bloodshot and pupils dilated, apparently after snorting a line of pure white sugar. Or maybe it was cookie crumbles. Sugar Panda appears to enjoy his drug in multiple forms. This release includes a satirical biography of Sugar Panda, which insists that \u201cSugar Panda doesn\u2019t have a problem. He\u2019s fine and can stop any time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sugar Panda\u2019s history\u2014his beginning as an adorable fluffy cub before his long, sad demise\u2014makes him an even more savage parody of famous dopey sugar spokesanimals like Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam. And if you\u2019ve ever heard sugar referred to as \u201cthe next cigarettes,\u201d you might also recall the demise of the Marlboro Man, the advertising icon whose portrayers repeatedly <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marlboro_Man#Smoking-related_deaths\">died<\/a> of smoking-related diseases.<\/p>\n<p>While this is ultimately just a clever campaign for online cookie sales, it\u2019s tempting to see Sugar Panda\u2019s debut as a landmark in our changing relationship with sugar. Public and professional awareness of sugar\u2019s detrimental health effects has been growing exponentially in recent years, and it is now fairly common to hear health-conscious parents, for example, refer to sugar as an addictive substance. Sugar Panda, gross and strung out, may be exaggerated and silly, but he\u2019s a representation of the dawning realization that our culture has been and remains deeply addicted to a legitimately harmful substance.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a heavy subject to broach in a cookie ad, but Maximum Effort keeps it light by deploying its acid wit. The company has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/avidan\/2021\/01\/07\/actor-ryan-reynolds-subversive-startup-may-be-the-best-ad-agency-in-america-right-now\/?sh=13387dc425bd\">called<\/a> \u201cThe Best Ad Agency in America Right Now,\u201d and tends to produce ads and videos with the same type of sardonic and self-aware humor that Reynolds is known for. Some readers may have already noticed that Reynolds himself voices Sugar Panda.<\/p>\n<p>Rocio told me that Reynolds \u201chas been a part of the creative process from the beginning.\u201d Apparently, he was an easy sell on the partnership\u2014the movie star had tried and loved HighKey cookies before the business ever approached them.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53264 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Highkey Mini Cookies - Keto Cookies\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/HighKey-Chocolate-Chip-Mini-Cookies.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>HighKey is best known for its low-carb mini cookies, which are made with almond flour and alternative sugars. The HighKey mini chocolate chip cookies are Amazon\u2019s single best-seller, outperforming Chips Ahoy and Famous Amos and Oreos and all the rest. A single serving of the chocolate chip mini cookies only has 1 gram of net carbs. The company now has a whole range of low-carb snacks, including breakfast cereals, granola, macaroons and baking mixes, and promises to develop even more.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that the ads are not in any way explicitly directed towards low-carb diners. Rocio Gordon: \u201cHighKey is definitely breaking out of the keto niche market. While our products are keto-friendly, our goal is to create delicious products for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rocio told me that there\u2019s more Sugar Panda hilarity on the way. \u201cKeep an eye out on social media for Sugar Panda to make more appearances on your screen.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":437,"featured_media":53262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1453,1434],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.9 (Yoast SEO v22.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sugar Panda is the new mascot for Highkey, best known for its low carb mini cookies. He is also the brainchild of Maximum Effort, the marketing agency founded by actor Ryan Reynolds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ross Wollen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254\",\"name\":\"Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/High-Key-Teaser.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-25T13:41:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-02-28T12:12:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/dad5417f3e14b1fd142730c7fa616283\"},\"description\":\"Sugar Panda is the new mascot for Highkey, best known for its low carb mini cookies. He is also the brainchild of Maximum Effort, the marketing agency founded by actor Ryan Reynolds.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/High-Key-Teaser.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/High-Key-Teaser.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Highkey - Sugar Panda - Ryan Reynolds\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\",\"name\":\"ASweetLife\",\"description\":\"The Diabetes Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/dad5417f3e14b1fd142730c7fa616283\",\"name\":\"Ross Wollen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3baf28ef14013e66fec763fe108e4bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3baf28ef14013e66fec763fe108e4bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ross Wollen\"},\"description\":\"Ross Wollen is a chef and writer based in Maine's Midcoast region. Before moving East, Ross was a veteran of the Bay Area restaurant and artisanal food scenes; he has also worked as a food safety consultant. As executive chef of Belcampo Meat Co., Ross helped launch the bone broth craze. Since his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes in 2017, he has focused on exploring the potential of naturally low-carb cooking. Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossWollen\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossWollen\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=437\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot","description":"Sugar Panda is the new mascot for Highkey, best known for its low carb mini cookies. He is also the brainchild of Maximum Effort, the marketing agency founded by actor Ryan Reynolds.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ross Wollen","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254","name":"Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/High-Key-Teaser.jpg","datePublished":"2021-02-25T13:41:18+00:00","dateModified":"2021-02-28T12:12:39+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/dad5417f3e14b1fd142730c7fa616283"},"description":"Sugar Panda is the new mascot for Highkey, best known for its low carb mini cookies. He is also the brainchild of Maximum Effort, the marketing agency founded by actor Ryan Reynolds.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/High-Key-Teaser.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/High-Key-Teaser.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Highkey - Sugar Panda - Ryan Reynolds"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=53254#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet Sugar Panda, Ryan Reynolds\u2019 Gross Anti-Sugar Mascot"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/","name":"ASweetLife","description":"The Diabetes Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/dad5417f3e14b1fd142730c7fa616283","name":"Ross Wollen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3baf28ef14013e66fec763fe108e4bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3baf28ef14013e66fec763fe108e4bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ross Wollen"},"description":"Ross Wollen is a chef and writer based in Maine's Midcoast region. Before moving East, Ross was a veteran of the Bay Area restaurant and artisanal food scenes; he has also worked as a food safety consultant. As executive chef of Belcampo Meat Co., Ross helped launch the bone broth craze. Since his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes in 2017, he has focused on exploring the potential of naturally low-carb cooking. Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossWollen","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossWollen"],"url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=437"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53254"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/437"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53254"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53283,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53254\/revisions\/53283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}