Butterball Launches ‘Care Hard. Cook Easy.’ To Make Turkey an Everyday Choice for New Generation of Cooks
May 28, 2026 | 5 min to read
First campaign from Carmichael Lynch expands Butterball beyond Thanksgiving with a playful push into everyday meals
GARNER, N.C. — Butterball®, the brand best known for its Thanksgiving turkey, is entering a new era with the launch of “Care hard. Cook easy.”, a bold new integrated campaign designed to drive everyday relevance and long-term growth.
The campaign was developed in partnership with Carmichael Lynch, Butterball’s creative, social and media agency of record, and represents a key step in the brand’s ambition to build on decades of leadership at the Thanksgiving table to unlock growth across everyday meal occasions, particularly among younger consumers.
“At Butterball, we’ve earned a special place in people’s lives during the holidays, and we have a tremendous opportunity to show up for them all year long,” said Kyle Lock, vice president of marketing at Butterball. “Today’s consumers care deeply about the meals they make, but that care sometimes feels like pressure. ‘Care hard. Cook easy.’ is our way of helping people feel confident choosing Butterball for everyday meals, making it easier to put a wholesome, warm meal on the table.”
The “Care hard. Cook easy.” platform brings Butterball’s legacy of helpfulness into a more modern, relatable space, grounded in playful ease and humanity, all while celebrating Butterball’s portfolio of everyday products, from ground turkey and turkey burgers to smoked sausage and turkey breast roast.
“‘Care hard. Cook easy.’ is Butterball’s permission slip to stop overthinking everyday meals,” said Stacy Janicki, CEO of Carmichael Lynch. “Through playful characters and unexpected humor, the campaign celebrates the beautifully chaotic reality of caring for others and shows that with Butterball, caring hard can still feel easy.”
The campaign launches with two hero spots that highlight the versatility and ease of Butterball’s everyday offerings:
- “Carried Away” (:30): At a grocery store sample table, two enthusiastic brand ambassadors excitedly walk a shopper through all the delicious meals she can make with Butterball ground turkey.
- “Favorite Part” (:15): Back at the sample table, the duo revels in the best parts of Butterball turkey burgers, turning a simple product moment into a joyful, indulgent experience.
Designed to meet consumers where they are, the campaign is built as a fully integrated, social-first ecosystem extending beyond traditional video. The campaign includes linear, streaming and digital video, social, creator partnerships, digital display, paid search and custom media collaborations, supported by a range of brand assets and extensions designed to embed Butterball more deeply into everyday culture.
The campaign will launch with a local broadcast buy in Raleigh, North Carolina, near Butterball’s headquarters, before expanding nationwide.
Consumers can view campaign creative beginning May 18:
About Butterball
Butterball, LLC, headquartered in Garner, North Carolina, is the most recognized and loved* turkey brand in the U.S. Bringing people together over wholesome homemade meals for more than 70 years, the company provides retail and foodservice products to customers in more than 30 countries. Butterball is committed to being an industry leader in quality, food safety and animal care and well-being, and was the first major turkey company to voluntarily achieve certification through American Humane Society. The company employs nearly 7,000 team members who work in production facilities, live operations and offices across Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and North Carolina. For consumer questions or information, visit Butterball.com or call the Butterball® Turkey Talk-Line®, 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372).
*Source: Kantar Brand Health Tracking Study December 2025 N=400 National Sample
About Carmichael Lynch
Carmichael Lynch is an integrated creative agency built on the belief that the strongest brands are brave enough to define their true purpose. Since 1962, we’ve helped clients uncover their singular brand truth and turn it into work that can’t be ignored. It’s the hard work of simple — ideas strengthened through integration where disciplines converge and diverge seamlessly around one compelling truth to cut through clutter and drive real business impact. Our work has helped build some of the world’s most iconic brands, earning top industry honors, while our culture is equally celebrated including being named one of Ad Age’s Best Places to Work five times, most recently in 2025. Visit www.carmichaellynch.com to learn more.