Who: duBreton, with Cossette for strategy and creative; Nova Film for production (Nicolas Brassard-Asselin directing).
What: “Eat With Conviction,” a campaign for the Quebec-based maker of pork products, humorously demonstrating how free-range farming is better. It comes amid rising consumer demand for sustainable and ethical products.
When & Where: The four-week campaign debuted April 18, running across TV and online throughout Quebec and the GTA, though the dialogue-free spot was also developed with the international market in mind (duBreton products are sold in the U.S. and Asia).
Why: This is about increasing consumer awareness of duBreton and more specifically its commitment to ensuring high standards of care for its animals. It is intended to demonstrate that its standards and farming practices are superior to those of its competitors.
The more than 300 family farms in its network do not use gestation crates; do not allow alterations of animals’ physical characteristics, such as tail or tooth clipping; and are not allowed to use antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal by-products.
How: Shot in Quebec’s Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury township, the spot depicts perhaps the ultimate embodiment of freedom: Being completely naked. It shows a naked man played by actor Jean Fournier happily cavorting in nature, a human representation of the freedom afforded to the pigs that provide duBreton’s products.
“Freedom’s better. We’ve tested it,” says the closing super, as the spot cuts back to the man who’s actually a duBreton pork farmer, now fully dressed. “[The idea was] what would a farmer from duBreton do to make sure his farm is up to the standards of duBreton,” said Cossette creative director Richard Rochette-Villeneuve. “It’s the idea of taking seriously what duBreton stands for: No cages, no GMOs, no antibiotics and, ultimately, no clothes.”
Fournier was wearing a pair of beige shorts during the shoot, although Rochette-Villeneuve said he was actually naked during the long shots in the field.
The spot retains the humorous approach that duBreton has used in previous ads, most notably the “Free Food” campaign from 2020. “It’s a shift in the type of humour, but it’s still the same tone,” said Rochette-Villeneuve.
And we quote: “It’s vital for duBreton to raise consumer awareness about the importance of choosing wisely when buying meat at the grocery store. With a campaign focused on the advantages of organic free-range pork, we sought to not only promote our product, but also affirm our core values and our vision for a different path for the food industry.” — Mario Goulet, vice-president of marketing and market development, duBreton
