Fabian Pereira and Antoni Porowski Discuss Express Yourself Fresh Expressionist Campaign

TORONTO, ON - While we have all heard you are what you eat, foodie culture has turned what you consume into another opportunity to showcase your identity. Combining the culinary expertise and artistry that are more accessible than ever before, Fresh Express is forging a space for salad expression.

“Chef-driven flavor is accelerating that growth on the value-added side,” Fabian Pereira, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at Fresh Express, shared with me.

It is a simple but powerful drumbeat at the heart of the company’s recent campaign, Express Yourself. Celebrating creativity, personalization, and self-expression through food, the company is leaning into the artistry of food with endless combinations of greens, toppings, and proteins.

Antoni Porowski, known for his role as the culinary expert on Netflix's Queer Eye and part of Fresh Express’ team of Fresh Expressionists, pointed to the generational currents reshaping how consumers approach the produce aisle.

"You have different foods that used to have a different set of perceptions. And what you've seen is actually the young folks are changing the perception for their parents and grandparents," Antoni observed. "They're actually introducing them to new cuisines, which is very fascinating."

The company's newly launched Mushroom Caesar is one expression of that philosophy in action. Pairing the deeply familiar with something trending and universally beloved, this is a tasty twist that showcases expression and tradition in a single bag.

"Why not take something that's familiar and marry it with something that's also familiar, and elevate the salad to the next level?" said Antoni as we all discussed the offering and the overall approach to uplifting the ordinary. "It doesn't have to be intimidating. You don't have to completely rewrite the script. You can play on things that are nostalgic, that we've all had and know and love—and just add one little element. Hopefully that inspires them to add a second element the next time."

For Fresh Express, getting consumers to return to that salad bag more often is also a practical solution to a persistent pain point: waste. Fabian described the familiar scenario of a salad bag pushed to the back of the refrigerator and forgotten, and how creativity can prevent it.

"One of the things we try to do is inspire people to eat that salad more often," said Fabian. "Buy your salad, finish it with some new ideas with one, two, three, or four different ways."

Antoni took this a step further, framing versatility as the campaign's most practical promise. Whether it is a wrap for lunch, a plated dinner, or a quick weeknight meal, the same kit can move through a week in a household without repetition, while the eater can feel good about sharing which adventure they chose with their social circles.

"It can be visual, or it can be on the other side in terms of ingredients," said Antoni. "And that's what's always so fun about food."

Fabian, himself a passionate foodie, described the campaign's creative framework as an extension of a larger philosophy: the plate as canvas, the salad a paintbrush.

“Now you bring your creativity and find a way of expressing yourself," he said with a smile. "Everyone's trying to create their masterpiece."

Supporting that vision is a network ranging from aspirational Fresh Expressionists to approximately 1,000 nano-influencers; everyday food lovers whose reach is rooted in authenticity.

"They connect with everyday people. They're not pitching too far away," Fabian told me. "Each one provides those neat little hacks because it's not just about forming a recipe, but about giving people a little twist. And once they start, everyone will start bringing their own twists."

For Antoni, who built his on-screen reputation entering homes without assumptions and meeting people where they are, the partnership seems a natural extension of that work.

"Why I'm here is a symptom of what I learned on Queer Eye—entering a space where you don't know what someone's relationship with food is," he concluded. "What I like is that it keeps it very broad in a way that's universal. It doesn't have to be intimidating, because the instructions are there. Keep it that simple, or the sky's the limit for where you can go."

With consumers seeking more and more opportunities to share personalities and shine in all facets of life, I can’t wait to see the merchandising and digital shapes a campaign like Express Yourself will offer the sector.