Who: Danone Canada with Momentum Worldwide and social media/influencer agency Carl Social Club. Media by Wavemaker.
What: “Live Life to the Flavourest,” a new national campaign for Danone’s International Delight coffee creamer product starring Canadian comedians Ann Pornel (Baroness Von Sketch Show) and Mariana Mazza (Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2). While there are currently more than 15 International Delight flavours, the campaign is emphasizing five: French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Irish Cream, Southern Butter Pecan and Vanilla Toffee Caramel.
When & Where: The campaign launched last month with what Danone’s director of marketing Fiona O’Brien described as “strategic” TV placements, as well as online video and a national social media contest. The Quebec component features a partnership with the comedy series Caméra Cafe that includes product integration. It runs through mid-March.
Why: There are couple of things at play here. Most significantly, at-home coffee consumption has taken off as more people work from home. O’Brien said research shows that more than three-quarters of all consumption currently takes place inside the home. At the same time, consumers are seeking out flavourful ways to add “indulgence and joy” to their coffee during the dreary winter months, she said.
“We want to ensure we’re top of mind for not only flavoured coffee lovers, but also other consumers who might be looking for a joyful pick-me-up,” she said. The goal is for consumers to associate International Delight with celebrating life and finding joy in the little things.
How: Set in a vibrant yellow kitchen, the TV spots are bright and cheery. Both ads open on the comedians asking Canadians how they take their coffee, dismissing simple milk and sugar as “bo-ring.” The spots then show the women using an increasingly larger mug as they use International Delight flavours including Southern Butter Pecan, Irish Cream, Hazelnut and French Vanilla.
The insight behind the campaign is that International Delight’s customers think that coffee is sometimes taken too seriously, said O’Brien. “They want to take their coffee their way without being judged, and International Delight is here to celebrate those fans, however they want to take their coffee.”
The Caméra Cafe integration was a logical vehicle for product integration since it’s shown from the point of view of an office coffee maker capturing everyday office interactions. “[T]he tone of the comedic program strongly aligns with the campaign narrative we’re looking to drive,” said O’Brien. “In conjunction with our other tactics, we hope to drive association and brand recall more effectively.”
Targeting “creameristas”: The campaign is designed to appeal to two groups, said O’Brien: loyalists who have been with the brand since the beginning, and newer “adventurous spirits.” Danone refers to this group as “Canadian Creameristas” and they are “unapologetic, smart, quirky, indulgent, honest and love to celebrate life,” said O’Brien. “They are unafraid of treating themselves and are much more adventurous than the typical reserved coffee drinker.”
And we quote: “We wanted to use humour to drive brand affinity amongst Canadians during a period where they need more joy. To do this, we needed to ensure our creative approach for this campaign would reflect these themes in a relevant way.” — Fiona O’Brien, director of marketing Danone Canada
