BelliWelli founder Kate Wilson embraced one of the oldest marketing tactics around – a highway-side billboard – in her mission to destigmatize conversations around gut health. The brand initially launched a trio of hot pink signs in Southern California over the past year that read “Hot Girls Have IBS.” The phrase is an iteration from the viral “Hot Girl Shit” meme, but for Wilson the inspiration came after she drove past numerous drab and “not attention grabbing” billboards in Los Angeles.
Wilson believes that by putting the term IBS front and center, the company can help raise awareness of the condition while also drawing considerable attention. Though some warned her against the design, Wilson said she pushed forward, Googling how to get a billboard.
While the marketing move began as a low budget test, within two days cars were lining the 405 in Los Angeles with people waiting to snap a picture, Wilson told NOSH.
The move has also shaped the brand’s own image over the past year, including its packaging which transitioned to an entirely hot pink-theme ahead of its national roll out at Sprouts. The billboard campaign is also expanding with 12 more signs nationwide, many of which are located near Sprouts locations, featuring a secondary line that reads “Find BelliWelli Bars At Sprouts” to drive all “hot girls with IBS” towards the new points of purchase.
