St. Louis Bar & Grill has introduced a menu item called “The Mother of All Poutines,” a three-pound behemoth of fries, gravy, cheese curds, boneless chicken wings and dill sauce requiring both intestinal fortitude and remarkable recuperative powers.
The latter is the basis for a new organic social media campaign from DonerNorth called “Pouternity Leave,” which is urging consumers to ask their boss for a day off to eat the carb-laden concoction and fully recover.
The creative approach is based on the insight that people will need a break to nurture their “food baby” after consuming such a monstrous meal, said DonerNorth creative director Jill Mack.
The company was seeking a digital stunt that both telegraphed its personality, as well as the size and uniqueness of The Mother of All Poutines, added Royal Nasager, vice-president of marketing at St. Louis Bar & Grill. “[We wanted] something that’s relatable to our fans, that first gets them excited, and then demonstrates we speak their language through the lens of social-media.”
While St. Louis put some radio advertising behind the product launch, the social media campaign is living organically through static posts on the brand’s Instagram channel. It is offering a grand prize of a $250 Visa gift card, as well as two secondary prizes of a $50 St. Louis Bar & Grill gift card.
Fans who enter the contest can download a letter introducing “The Mother of All Poutines” that reads, in part, “Please consider this my formal request for Pouternity Leave.”
“We really wanted to lean into the truth about how we all experience epic meals like this indulgent poutine,” said Mack. “It’s a massive amount of delicious food that is so good, you can’t stop eating. Perhaps to the point where you’re well past full—but man, is it worth it.”
The tone of the creative approach is “bang on” for the brand, she said. “St. Louis likes to keep it light and fun for the most part, especially on social, so we decided a social stunt was the way to go to get the word out.”
St. Louis Bar & Grill launched in Toronto in 1992, and expanded to 72 locations across four provinces. The company was acquired by Aegis Brands for $50 million last year.
