Business Wars ENCORE: Beyond Meat vs Impossible Burger | Beefing Up, Chowing Down | 3
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Jan 7, 2026 In 2019, the plant-based meat war heats up with fierce advertising battles, ignited by a Super Bowl ad clash between Impossible Foods and the beef lobby. As Beyond Meat expands rapidly, pressure mounts from debt and internal concerns over growth strategies. Customers are grabbing plant-based products off shelves amid rising demand, but health worries swirl. Plus, Ethan Brown eyes a partnership with McDonald's for a plant-based option. Celebrity endorsements are a double-edged sword, with risks looming over brand perceptions.
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Founder Fires For Lab Time
- Pat Brown interrupted a promotion meeting to insist on returning to lab work and scaling production aggressively.
- He declared a mission to push the beef industry into a "death spiral" and scale output exponentially.
Growth Triggers Industry Pushback
- Rapid early success for both brands attracted political and industry backlash from beef lobbyists.
- That opposition forced plant-based companies to engage in public relations and defensive campaigns.
CEO Versus Scientist Face-Off
- Ethan Brown hosted a New Yorker reporter and defended Beyond Meat's ingredient choices versus Impossible's heme.
- He framed Beyond's use of pea protein as a deliberate choice to avoid soy and GMOs and questioned Impossible's safety narrative.