Taking a page from the Coca Cola Classic playbook, Maple Leaf Foods has launched an advertising campaign trumpeting the return of its original Larsen Wieners recipe.
Last year, Maple Leaf had introduced a new recipe for Larsen Wieners, a brand available only in Atlantic Canada. The change in formula raised the ire of consumers, who used several channels, including a dedicated Facebook page, to register their displeasure.
Classic Taste Larsen Wieners has returned to store shelves and Maple Leaf has chosen to address the consumer directly in a new marketing campaign that centres around the “Wiener News Network” (WNN).
Created by St. John’s, Nfld. agency Target Marketing and Communications, the WNN consists of a series of online videos hosted on the Larsen Foods Facebook page. In the videos, a male and female anchor offer wiener-related news, in particular the announcement that Larsen’s original wiener flavour has returned.
Jenny Smith, creative group head at Target, said her client was looking for an advertising hook that would signal its contrition in an honest and humourous manner.
“They wanted to apologize and say they were sorry and let Atlantic Canadians know that they have listened,” Smith said. “We wanted to make a big splash. An announcement this big needs media attention, and we thought there was no surer way of getting media attention than the creation of a news network.”
The four-week campaign also includes radio and point-of-sale creative.
