Given the sheer ubiquity of chickens (some 25 billion worldwide, according to one estimate) it’s impossible to say how many recipes for flightless fowl there are.
But it’s undeniable that chicken is a major source of protein around the world, including Canada. The average Canadian consumed 35.8 kilograms of poultry (a group that includes chicken, turkey and duck) in 2021, according to Agriculture Canada data, a number that is projected to rise to 37 kilograms by 2026. (That number is dwarfed by Israel, whose citizens consumed 71.9kg in 2019.)
Yet despite the abundance of service magazine headlines like “67 easy chicken dinners you’ll make on repeat,” and “76 best chicken dinner recipes to add to your weeknight rotation,” Canadians generally tend to stick with the tried-and-true when it comes chicken.
That’s the basis of “Different Day. Different Dish,” a campaign created by Toronto agency Bob’s Your Uncle for the Chicken Farms of Canada that is encouraging Canadians to expand their repertoire beyond standards like roast chicken, beer can chicken, and chicken and rice.
Comprised of five English and French commercials—as well as six-second cutdowns for social and digital—the campaign presents a top-down perspective of a common chicken dish, before panning across a series of potential new dishes while a voiceover exhorts viewers to expand their chicken horizons. All of the ads direct to Chicken.ca.
“We know Canadians love chicken, and that they believe chicken raised in Canada is a healthy and much-loved meal,” said Tim Klompmaker, chair of Chicken Farmers of Canada. “But our research shows consumers typically rely on a handful of go-to chicken recipes and are not taking advantage of the incredible diversity of meal options that chicken provides.”