Canadians love their hamburgers, and while they may not have considered Boston Pizza one of the country’s premier burger restaurants, the franchise is hoping to change that perception with the introduction of the Most Valuable Burger, or MVB.
The new menu item includes a 100% Canadian all-beef patty and Canadian cheddar on a brioche bun.
According to a survey by Statisa, 48% of Canadian men and 35% of Canadian women eat a burger at least once a week.
“Boston Pizza is still relatively low on the consideration list for burgers,” admitted Alex Green, the company’s vice-president of marketing. “For us it represents a great opportunity to build our sales in a key category.”
While Canadians already have an abundance of burger options, Green believes Boston Pizza is well positioned to compete. The restaurant’s goal is to double its burgers sales this summer through the introduction of the MVB, a strong marketing push and a contest partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“We’ve got a great campaign that’s built around celebrating the quality and the launch of the new burger, but we’ve also paired it up with a contest linked to a Blue Jays ultimate on-field fan experience to round out the promotion,” he said.
Building off the “All Star Food” campaign that began in January, the 30-second TV ad introduces a burger that is celebrated like a star athlete.
“In the creative concept, you’ll see a burger that has all the perks of a professional athlete all-star, whether it’s a photo shoot for the cover of magazines, shoe deals or a fireworks entrance into the stadium,” said Green. “The campaign is built around a line, which is ‘taste what winning tastes like.'”
Green added that All Star Food, which is now enjoying its fourth iteration, has given the marketing team the ability to launch new products while maintaining strong brand linkages. He said the theme was the handiwork of Toronto-based Taxi 2, the agency that produced the creative.
“For this campaign, they hit out of the park,” said Green. “We also partnered with [media agency] UM to make sure that we’ve got strong media messaging and to make sure we’ve got those messages in front of our guests at the right time.”
The campaign is anchored by the TV ad and supported by point-of-purchase menu inserts that announce the MVB burger as well as a number of other new menu items including a dessert burger, new salads and taco items.
