NEW YORK — Dupe culture has taken the world by storm, making luxury products more accessible than ever before. But unlike with bags, jewelry, and make-up, no food brand has dared step into that space. Today, dairy-free brand Daiya launches Fromage Forgery – a project with the simple goal of spreading the brand’s uncanny cheese dupe to the masses with the help of actor Lionel Boyce.
Daiya’s recently reformulated dairy-free cheese (with its revolutionary Daiya Oat Cream™ blend) melts like dairy, officially achieving ‘cheese dupe status.’ To celebrate this feat, Fromage Forgery took over Downtown New York City, where over 350 people lined up throughout the day to nab a nibble of the now-famous cheese dupe from a lo-fi stall—a nod to the neighborhood’s rich legacy of democratizing luxury experiences for all.
Lionel Boyce, writer, producer and actor on the award-winning series The Bear, took on the role of the company’s first Fromage Forgery salesman, an overzealous rookie responsible for pitching people to try Daiya’s newest innovation in its finest form – the humble grilled cheese.
Lionel Boyce, Fromage Forgery salesman, said:
“When Daiya approached me to be a part of Fromage Forgery, I thought it was super cool that they wanted to be viewed as a brand for everyone rather than just for people with dietary restrictions. That and the fact that they were down to let me put a ponytail wig on were key selling points.”
According to a recent survey from Morning Consult, nearly one-third of adults, 31%, have intentionally purchased a dupe of a product, with Gen Z and millennials having higher participation rates: roughly 49% and 44%, respectively. People want to participate in culture, but the thing about luxury items is not everyone can afford them. The dupe movement is rooted in making trendy, high-quality products– often even better than the original– available to the masses. Fromage Forgery mirrors that essence, making its dairy-passing, plant-based cheese more accessible to everyone.
John Kelly, Chief Marketing Officer at Daiya, also added:
“The beauty of contemporary dupe culture is that it opens high-end luxury to the masses. This trend aligns with similar beliefs held at Daiya: that everyone is deserving of a bite of high-quality dairy-free cheese, and nothing should stand in the way.”
“It is because of this that we pushed our innovation further than ever, with the creation of our proprietary ingredient, Daiya Oat Cream™ blend, which gives us, in our opinion, the best dairy dupe on the market. The Fromage Forgery campaign puts the spotlight on a product that truly bridges the gap between consumer expectations and dairy-free offerings”.
Beyond the activation, Daiya is teaming up with Ian Charms – today’s most duped jewelry brand known for its vibrant beaded necklaces worn by celebrities such as Doja Cat, Justin Bieber, and many more. Together, they are dropping a free, limited-edition beaded necklace inspired by Fromage Forgery. On January 30th at 6pm EST / 3pm PST people will be able to participate in Ian Charms’ first-ever giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 50 free necklaces, typically available only at premium prices. For more information on how to enter, visit Daiya’s Instagram at @DaiyaFoods.
Daiya’s ability to dupe dairy is a result of its new reformulation stemming from a multi-million-dollar investment in fermentation technology. The new Daiya Oat Cream™ blend is the company’s proprietary cultured ingredient and is now the key component across Daiya’s dairy-free shreds, slices, blocks and sticks – promising consumers an incredible dairy-like melt and deliciously balanced cheesy flavor.
Fromage Forgery was born out of the brand’s new platform: “100% Plant-based. Even if you’re not,” which welcomes all cheese-loving consumers to try its products regardless of their dietary preferences, leaving the ‘all or nothing’ approach to plant-based, dairy-free diets behind. Consumers can expect to see the new products on shelves now across major retailers in the US and Canada.
To learn more about Fromage Forgery, visit: https://daiyafoods.com/pages/fromageforgery
About Daiya
Daiya Foods has been a pioneer of plant-based, delicious, dairy-free products since 2008. The company’s growing line of premium, plant-based foods began with cheese formats including blocks, shreds, slices, sticks, cream cheese style spreads and cheese sauces. Daiya has since expanded with great success into cheese-forward foods like pizza, Mac & Cheese, and frozen cheesecake. Daiya products are available in the dairy and freezer aisles, and products like Mac & Cheese and salad dressings are in the shelf-stable section of most major grocery stores.
Delicious plant-based foods from Daiya are broadly available in more than 25,000 grocery stores in the U.S. and Canada, as well as through e-commerce partnerships. Daiya’s products can be found internationally in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
For more information about Daiya, please visit www.daiyafoods.com, or follow us on Instagram and TikTok.
About Ian Charms
Ian Charms is a female owned, handmade jewelry company based in LA. Named “Ian” charms because the creator’s last name (Lisa Sahakian), like many Armenian names, ends in those three letters. For those who like to adorn their necks and wrists with a more personal flare, Ian Charms will work with you to craft a custom piece, just start the process by ordering the type of custom jewelry you’d like.
