It's not easy to stand out in the crowded beverage industry, especially when your product is a "kids drink" and the aim is to increase consumption among 18 to 34-year-olds.
In the winter months, when the weather was cold and people were worrying about the H1N1 epidemic, the Quebec Milk Bureau (Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec) saw an opportunity to appeal to a more mature target by positioning milk as a remedy in grim times.
Media agency Touché!PHD adapted the "Natural Source of Comfort" campaign by BBDO Montreal to come up with an array of innovative outdoor executions to portray the soothing comfort of warm wool. Transit shelters were re-designed with gigantic tuques, while inside heaters and earphones enabled commuters to listen to comforting stories in a warm environment. Mega columns were also topped with colourful wool tuques, while subway trains were covered with wool material and backlit signs were used to hang hand-made knitting. In addition, 3D wool was installed on out-of-home units and billboard metal poles along major highways.
Other fun elements included a free iPhone app that challenged users to knit the longest wool scarf, while dynamic online executions showcased the application's game play and animation. The campaign even took over an entire radio commercial break to broadcast comforting stories and embed them within the content of Radio-Canada.ca - a first in both cases.
This all culminated in 'comforting' live events featuring artists and entertainers, which attracted thousands and encouraged consumers to drink milk as a comforting beverage during the cold harsh winter days.
Results
Not only did consumption of milk increase by 1%, but overwhelming public reaction through the media, Facebook and Twitter demonstrated that this refreshing campaign provided a much-needed reprise from winter woes. The campaign was also awarded "Best of Show" by the jury at the 2010 Canada Media Innovation Awards.