Who: BC Dairy, with Taxi Vancouver for strategy and creative, OMD for media, Animals for production (directed by Chris Brown) with sound by Vapor.
What: “Nothing Better,” a new ad campaign with a decidedly different look and feel from what BC Dairy has done in the past.
When & Where: The campaign is in market now, running in four waves over the next year, with a focus on younger consumers 18-30. It’s running in cinema, although the primary focus is on digital video, with a hero :60 and cut downs.
Why: Simply put, dairy alternatives have become very fashionable in recent years, particularly among younger millennials and Gen Z. BC Dairy wanted to break through with those younger people to remind them they should choose real dairy if they want dairy products.
“We wanted to provide that confidence that whatever you do in your life, make the best choice that feels the best for you,” said director of marketing Jennifer Woron.
BC Dairy and Taxi conducted extensive strategic research, including surveying and focus groups. “One of the key insights is that people are still choosing dairy, but it’s not quite as cool to say that,” said Woron. “We wanted to give people the confidence to own their choices.”
How: Taxi came up with a “more artistic, high-design approach” to deliver that message, said James Sadler, Taxi’s executive creative director in Vancouver. “We took our cues from athletic brands such as Nike or Adidas… It was more about capturing an attitude versus telling an in-depth story.”
The 60-second hero spot is driven by a rhythmic dance track and features a diverse cast of characters—an interpretive dancer, guests at a whimsical dinner party, street artists, a telekinetic, and a cute little bad-ass bicycle gang—living with enthusiasm while proudly consuming dairy products. There is no narration or obvious call to action except the closing super: “Make it with Dairy.”
“It’s just a really emotional piece that reinforces making choices for yourself and feeling good about those choices,” said Woron. “It shows a variety of people who are living life and owning who they are.”
“It’s good old-fashioned advertising,” added Sadler. “Make the product look awesome, cast interesting, diverse people, then show them having a blast with the product.”
The media plan: “We’re in cinema because things are opening back up and, quite frankly, work like this just deserves to be on a big screen with immersive sound,” said Sadler. “But then [we] really wanted to focus our media dollars in the digital space, knowing that’s where our younger demographic tends to over-index.”
Why now? BC Dairy and Taxi had this campaign ready to go prior to Covid. But with uncertainty about supply early on, and then the general mood being what it was, the organization decided the timing wasn’t right for such a bold, confident message, and focused instead on marketing emphasizing support for local dairy producers.
“Now that we’re coming out of the pandemic and restrictions are starting to ease, it felt like it was a more appropriate time to come out with a message about making choices and feeling good about your choices, and getting back to that point of your life where you are able to go out with friends,” said Woron. “A more positive, upbeat message.”
