Comedian Kevin Hart stars in a new Beyond Meat commercial, encouraging people to try plant-based burgers for the planet.

The new advertisement⁠—which was written and produced by Hart’s own production company Hartbeat Productions⁠—sees the actor travel through several different backyard barbecue scenarios in different decades.

In each decade, Hart serves up a Beyond Meat burger to comedian Will “Spank” Horton.

“Traditions keep us connected to our past, but we have to make decisions for our future,” he says in the commercial. “We’ve gotta go beyond tradition, make changes that are better for the planet.”

“Eating plant-based is actually fighting climate change,” he continues. “Sometimes we don’t look for the most obvious things we can change, and I don’t know why. Some things should be easy, like eating Beyond Meat. Changing the world one burger at a time.” 

Changing up traditions

Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat’s products hit the shelves for the first time in 2012. While the brand’s products are entirely plant-based, its target audience is not vegans. Instead, it wants to encourage more meat-eaters to swap out beef burgers for plants.

And it’s working. In 2018, the brand released data revealing that 70 percent of its customers were actually meat-eaters.

With the new Hart commercial, Beyond Meat is continuing to nurture that customer base. 

“Our consumer testing found that Kevin resonated with non-plant-based consumers,” Beth Moskowitz, Beyond Meat’s chief brand officer, told Adweek. “He makes plant-based eating very approachable.”

Hart’s decision to show a backyard barbecue in the commercial was intentional. For many, it’s a summer tradition where friends and family gather to eat a meat-heavy feast. But Hart, who has reduced his own meat intake, maintains it doesn’t have to be that way.

He said: “I love that my family and I can enjoy all the foods we love, like grilled burgers in the backyard, but do so in a way that’s better for us without feeling like we’re sacrificing anything.”

The video (and shorter variations of it) will appear on digital, social, and connected TV, as well as TikTok. Beyond Meat and Hart will also host pop-ups and sampling events together to promote the products.