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Becel has launched a 30-second testimonial from DDB Canada to tout the benefits of using its Pro-Activ calorie-reduced margarine with plant sterols, which are said to help lower cholesterol.
The Unilever brand first introduced the new margarine in May 2010, marking the first time Health Canada allowed claims on products that contain sterols to help consumers understand how the additives work.
Plant sterols are said to help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. A one-point reduction in total cholesterol can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 25%, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Becel worked with Health Canada to bring this product to the country, which has been available in 30 markets worldwide for the past decade, said Margaret McKellar, brand manager for Becel at Unilever.
“Now that the product is finally available to Canadians, it’s really important to get stories out of real Canadians and the results that they’re seeing,” said McKellar.
The testimonial—which airs in English and French—follows Scott Belford, a firefighter from Oakville, Ont., who started eating foods like Becel that have plant sterols once he found out he had high cholesterol.
The ad directs viewers to LoveYourHeart.ca where they can learn more about Pro-Activ and other Becel products as well as tips on how to manage blood pressure, weight and diabetes.
To find a suitable candidate for the ad, DDB Canada held open casting calls (two in Toronto and one in Montreal) seeking men 35 – 45 who were interested in lowering their cholesterol and willing to travel, appear in a national ad, and be filmed bungee jumping.
At the audition, participants had their cholesterol levels tested by nurses on site, and those with a high total cholesterol were added to a shortlist and asked to use Becel Pro-Activ as directed, for three weeks.
“We wanted to make sure we had real people and not actors. We did a casting call to come in and obviously went through a fairly rigorous process to make sure they followed the program, and cholesterol testing with nurses,” said McKellar.
In addition to the testimonial, Becel also launched what McKellar called an “educational spot” to better inform Canadians about plant sterols. Mindshare handled the media buy. In-store marketing is being handled by Capital C, and Marketlink manages online marketing, with Edelman overseeing PR. Ariad Custom Communications also took part in developing the ad.
