Vol. 110 RXBar: Anti-resolution 🚛

Case Studied
Blocking the New Year’s noise

Every January, brands flood the market with “New year, new you” marketing. This time of year, you’d be hard pressed to find ads that aren’t filled with messaging on transformation and self-improvement. 

Recently, though, we’ve seen some brands push back on that formula. Equinox did it by not allowing anyone to sign up on January 1. And RXBar took a page from this anti-resolution book in 2025. 

This week, Case Studied explores how RXBar racked up 2.8 million OOH impressions on an anti-New Year’s campaign.

The Brief

RXBar is a protein bar brand known for their emphasis on simple ingredients. They communicate this most recognizably with their stripped-back packaging that shows a short list of ingredients in large text.

Since their early days, RXBar positioned itself around transparency and a “no B.S.” ethos. And they brought that positioning into a New Year’s campaign last year. 

Knowing January is a time when consumers are inundated with messaging that can feel performative or opportunistic, RXBar set out to offer relief. 

The Execution

RXBar partnered with Tombras on an out-of-home activation designed to be both literal and symbolic. On January 3, the brand deployed a mobile OOH unit, the “B.S. Blocker Truck,” that toured New York City to physically block “toxic” ads. 

The truck was specifically engineered to obstruct billboards close to the ground, with an extendable structure that allowed it to block ads up to two stories high. 

How did they know which ads to block? They asked New Yorkers to tip them off. There was a dedicated number folks could text to report ads they felt were toxic or B.S. From there, the truck would appear and block the offending placement.

The OOH activation extended beyond the streets, too. RXBar encouraged people on social media to share what they planned to leave behind in the new year, and in return, participants received a discount code 

To amplify the moment further, RXBar also partnered with social media creator @dudettewithsign, whose style of deadpan commentary fit the campaign’s self-aware messaging. Chief Creative Officer at Tombras Avinash Baliga said self-awareness was central to the campaign goals. 

“As advertisers, we have to be self-aware—people don’t want every single aspect of their lives to be turned into capitalism,” said Baliga. “I think some of the best brands are brands where there’s a very short gap between the marketing and the product itself.”

The Results

The B.S. Blocker Truck campaign generated 2.8 million out-of-home impressions during its New York City run. Influencer partnerships added over two million additional impressions, while RXBar reported a 504% increase in Instagram engagement during the campaign window.

While short-lived by design, the activation cut through one of the most competitive advertising periods of the year, generating earned attention by interrupting (read: not adding to) the dominant conversation at the time.

The Takeaways

1) Don’t be afraid to challenge the hype.

RXBar didn’t try to outshout New Year’s advertising. By calling attention to consumer fatigue and positioning itself as an ally rather than a motivator, the brand reinforced its core values in a way that felt timely and credible. 

If your category is oversaturated during a specific moment, consider stepping back and asking whether the moment itself is the insight. Sometimes the most effective move isn’t stronger participation, it’s reframing the conversation.

2) Make your brand feel tangible.

“No B.S.” could have just remained a line of copy. But RXBar translated that idea into a physical object that enacted the brand promise. That literal execution made the brand’s positioning instantly digestible, even to people encountering it for the first time.

When developing your brand, look for ways to express it through behavior, not just messaging. Tangible expressions tend to travel further because they’re easier to understand, document, and share. Of course, this is easier for CPG brands like RXBar, but it’s possible even for the techiest B2B brand (for inspo, read about Ramp). 

3)   Use participation to guide attention

By letting consumers summon the truck via text, RXBar shifted control outward. The audience helped decide which messages deserved to be blocked, making the campaign feel collaborative rather than preachy. 

Participation doesn’t always require UGC at scale. Sometimes it’s as simple as letting people steer where and how your idea shows up. Giving audiences even small moments of agency can dramatically increase emotional buy-in and memorability.

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