Coffee-mate’s new ad mpmpaign is set in Sudbury, but that’s about the only detail the packaged good brand is willing to part ways with.
Launched on March 28, the teaser campaign hints at an ominous event dubbed “The Sudbury Incident” that changed the way locals drink their coffee. In one TV spot, a woman says cryptically, “Yeah, I was there. The incident at the trailer park in Sudbury. Now I like my coffee rich and creamy.”
An associated Instagram handle, TheSudburyIncident, provides a few more clues to how the campaign, which is scheduled to run through the fall, will unfold. The feed follows a faux-documentary filmmaker as he tries to get to the bottom of the “incident,” by exploring Sudbury and talking to locals. According to the account’s bio, the investigation took 10 days.
When asked if a reveal is coming soon, the lead creative behind the campaign, MacLaren McCann Canada chief creative officer Darren Clarke, deadpanned: “I don’t know. I haven’t seen the ending.” Then, with a laugh, he followed up, “This is all real-time, you know.”
Clarke did, however, provide some insight into the concept for the TV spots. The “incident” teaser was designed to break with the convention of product-driven spots and stand out within a commercial break, he said. And the location? Clarke said Coffee-mate chose Sudbury because it has recognizable iconography such as The Big Nickel, but is also a city most Canadians have not visited, affording it an element of mystery.
DAY 2: I wish nickels were still twelve-sided. #Nostalgia I also wish my camera guy had centred me so I actually looked like the da Vinci man #Dodecagon #TheSudburyIncident A photo posted by The Sudbury Incident (@thesudburyincident) on
Pressed about the reveal, Ryan Saunders, Nestlé Canada’s marketing leader for beverages, wouldn’t offer specifics. “Darren didn’t tell you anything, did he?” Saunders asked.
The campaign is aimed at 20 to 35-year-olds. At that age, consumers are still developing their coffee tastes, Saunders said. The company’s research also showed that while the product performed well in trials, many young people were unfamiliar with the brand. Those insights led the brand to the irreverent, unconventional approach of its teaser campaign, which was designed to introduce Coffee-mate to young consumers.
Rather than a product-driven approach, Saunders said the brand wanted to do something attention-grabbing. “Hitting people over the head with benefit messages doesn’t always work,” he said.
The campaign is currently in market with ads on broadcast and content on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Maxus Canada handled the media buy.
I guarantee you Ricky, Julian and Bubbles had something to do with this. 😉
Saturday, May 07 @ 5:32 am |