Whole Foods Market unveiled its first national marketing campaign Monday, a series of primetime television commercials and glossy print ads that the organic grocer hopes will help revive its disappointing sales.

The campaign, which the company says has a “values matter” theme, is aimed at health-conscious shoppers concerned about where their food comes from.  With rivals such as Kroger and Wal-Mart now offering organic product lines, Whole Foods is trying to hang onto its core customers and position itself as the standard-bearer for quality in the organics category.

“They care about themselves, our planet; they want to trust their [food] sources; they’re seeking information to make meaningful choices,” Jeannine D’Addario, Whole Foods global vice president for communications, said in an interview.

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One television commercial features a herd of cows grazing on a picturesque California ranch while a voice-over pledges that “all of the fresh beef we sell comes from cattle who have had room to roam.” Another ad shows workers plucking fruit from a sun-drenched orchard, with the voiceover promising that produce is “grown locally on over 1,000 U.S. farms.”

Whole Foods says it will spend $15 million to $20 million launching the advertising campaign.  The TV spots will be shown during programs such as “Modern Family,” “The Voice” and “Scandal,” while the print ads will appear in publications including Men’s Health, Rolling Stone and the New York Times.  The grocery chain is hoping to reach shoppers ages to 25 to 49.

The marketing blitz comes as Whole Foods y grapples with slowing sales and increasing competition. In July, Whole Foods reported sales at stores open more than a year were up 3.9 percent, a figure that disappointed investors who had been expecting stronger growth.  Co-chief executive Walter E. Robb cited a variety of reasons for the slowdown, including increased competition in the organic grocery space and a sluggish economic recovery that doesn’t appear to be enticing consumers to spend again.

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The grocery store chain, dubbed “Whole Paycheck” by some critics, has also been trying to shed its high-cost image. It has been experimenting with tactics to go after a price-conscious consumers, such as a national price-matching program it began last year.  The company has said it will continue to target bargain shoppers with regional and local ads, even as the national campaign aims to draw in values-driven consumers.

Whole Foods says a national campaign is especially important right now because it is undertaking an ambitious expansion that will bring the brand to many new consumers. Whole Foods is on track to open 38 new stores this year and has 116 stores in its development pipeline.  The company has 386 stores in the United States but believes there is long-term demand for about 1,200 Whole Foods groceries in this country.

The ads will run through winter 2015, the company says.  D’Addario said they will be closely watching how customers react to determine whether the marketing campaign will be the beginning of a more consistent national advertising strategy.

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