Perfect Bar and Ilona Maher Team Up to Celebrate Authenticity in New Campaign
MARKETING
Perfect Bar and Ilona Maher launch 'Perfectly Real' campaign celebrating authenticity.
In a wellness industry often dominated by filtered images and curated perfection, Perfect Bar is taking a different approach. The brand has partnered with Olympic rugby star and social media sensation Ilona Maher for a new national campaign called "Perfectly Real," a celebration of authenticity that mirrors the company's commitment to whole food ingredients and nothing artificial.
The campaign, developed with creative agency the community, follows Maher's candid, humorous take on everyday life. Through digital spots and social content, it positions Perfect Bar as fuel for perfectly imperfect moments, no overprocessed ingredients, no unnecessary additives, just real food for real people.
Why Ilona Maher
Maher isn't your typical brand ambassador. The rugby powerhouse has built a massive following by being unapologetically herself, whether that means wearing red lipstick on the pitch, challenging traditional beauty standards for athletes, or using her platform to spotlight women in sports. Her refusal to conform to polished wellness stereotypes made her a natural fit for a brand built on simple, honest nutrition.
"The ideals of perfection presented to us are not always realistic," Maher says. "And although I don't always have it together, I prioritize being authentic to myself even if that means going against the grain and being imperfect in a way that's ownable to me. I don't need filters for my life, so why would I want them in my food?"
Each Perfect Bar contains whole food protein from freshly ground nut butter, organic honey, and over 20 superfoods, ingredients you can recognize and pronounce. The bars are kept refrigerated to maintain freshness, a distinction that sets them apart in a crowded protein bar market.
A Rejection of Artificial Standards
The partnership directly challenges the filtered, overly polished aesthetic that dominates much of the wellness space. Both Maher and Perfect Bar represent a pushback against unrealistic standards, whether in body image or ingredient lists.
"We've always believed that the best nutrition is simple, honest and built on real food, so why should our marketing be any different?" says Marion Delgutte, SVP of marketing at Perfect Bar. "Ilona's powerful, unedited approach to navigating daily life is the perfect reflection of our product promise: real ingredients, nothing artificial."
For the creative team, the strategy was straightforward: match authentic ingredients with an authentic voice.
"This campaign's creative intention was beautifully simple: real ingredients for real people," says Federico Diaz, group creative director at the community. "When you have a bar made of real, whole food ingredients, and a partner in Ilona who is equally, powerfully real, the creative job is to show that connection."
Where to Find It
The "Perfectly Real" campaign launches today across digital platforms, social media, and connected TV. Perfect Bar products, which feature up to 17 grams of whole food protein, are available at more than 50,000 retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Target, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and Costco.
In a market saturated with processed protein bars and aspirational wellness messaging, Perfect Bar and Ilona Maher are making a case for something simpler: real fuel, real ingredients, and the freedom to be imperfectly, authentically yourself.