Janet Jackson is the New Face of Nutrisystem
Janet Jackson, who has previously struggled with weight issues, has become the new face of Nutrisystem to promote weight loss and feed the hungry.
Jackson will join Nutrisystem and help promote a new “SUCCESS” diet plan and raise money to feed the world’s hungry. Nutrisystem chief executive Joe Redling approached the diva after reading her book, “True You,” where she chronicles her struggles with her own weight.
He gave her some pre-packaged foods from Nutrisystem to sample while on tour and she was convinced.
“When I was in hair and makeup, we were all taste testing. Everybody was going crazy for it,” Jackson said in a Reuters report.
Jackson’s favorite Nutrisystem food? The cheese puffs.
“They do have cheese puffs,” she said. “It had been years since I wrapped my lips around cheese puffs because they were things I had to stay away from.”
Jackson said that dieting in the past has always been unsuccessful for her. She said she needed a better plan.
“Dieting never worked for me, counting calories never worked for me, and denying myself the foods I love never worked for me. I needed a better plan, and I found it with Nutrisystem,” Jackson said. “With Nutrisystem I am seeing results already, and I am so impressed.”
She is featured in Nutrisystem’s latest commercial, which shows her backstage while she speaks in a voice over about her own weight loss struggles. During the two-minute piece, Jackson says her message to anyone who has “struggled with weight loss” is to “make Nutrisystem Success your plan.”
“I’m on it and I’ve already seen results. Get on it,” she boasts in the commercial.
The program will also feature a national advertising campaign showcasing Jackson’s Nutrisystem weight loss success to date and her journey to sustainable, healthy eating. The ads, which were shot in Australia, will be released before the end of the year.
Acclaimed filmmaker Jake Nava directed the documentary-style format, where Jackson answers questions in her own words.
Jackson’s Nutrisystem endorsement includes a deal promising for every pound its dieters lose in 2012, they will donate $1 worth of food to people in need. Together, Nutrisystem and Jackson started the “Nutribank” to work with hunger organizations around the world.
“I feel that my true calling is to help people,” Jackson said.
Redling feels that “SUCCESS” is Nutrisystem’s most complete program ever. He says that Jackson is the perfect spokesperson for the campaign.
“Janet’s story is one of a lifelong struggle with weight management. … She has an authentic voice we believe will resonate with customers,” Redling shared.
In her New York Times best-seller, “True You,” Jackson is candid about her struggles with her own weight and self-image. She talks about how her older brother, Michael, used to lovingly tease her for having a big butt, which she says she carried with her all her life. She also said that weight gain has troubled her for many years and that eating was emotional for her.
“Eating calmed my nerves, and gave me instant gratification,” she said in the book.
She documented an incident from her childhood, when she acted on the sitcom “Good Times” at the age of 10. She said a wardrobe assistant told her that she would have to tape her breasts down and lose weight.
She said she still struggles to stay slim.