Nestea is once again trying to spread goodness across Canada, this time through the launch of a new website and outdoor campaign in support of its vitamin and calcium enhanced iced tea Vitao.
Canadians can share their stories about acts of goodness at ReleaseTheGoodness.ca until Dec. 31, for a chance at a $5,000 monthly prize that is meant to help the entrant spread their goodness and inspire others to do the same.
Each month, a panel of judges narrows down the entries to three, which are then highlighted on the site, said Helen Gushue, senior brand manager, Nestea Vitao. Visitors to the site are then given the opportunity to vote for their favourite story.
“We wanted to create a community of goodness, and given the Internet usage for people and their willingness to want to tell us stuff, it was the best vehicle to capture all of these stories and also inspire other people with a goodness story,” said Gushue.
To launch the site with some good stories ready to share, Nestea hosted casting calls in Montreal and Toronto in March that allowed Canadians over 18 to share their everyday acts of goodness.
Photos and stories from the casting call were used to create four billboards running in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. An additional eight stories are being featured on ReleaseTheGoodness.ca.
The selected storytellers were notified shortly after the open call, and were given a “nominal fee” for the use of their story and images, said Gushue.
One of the stories featured on the site shows a picture of a mom and daughter hugging and a description, which reads: “Natalie, her husband and son immigrated to Canada. To make sure her mom gets to see her grandson grow up, they bought Natalie’s mom an apartment next door.”
“[The stories] don’t have to be super human,” said Gushue. “It’s just a little bit out of the ordinary…we all seem to be in this busy world and centred around our own lives, why not reach out to someone else.” “We have a product in Nestea Vitao with all this goodness…why not think about putting good in your body, and letting that good out.”
The campaign concept was developed by Toronto agency SoHo Square, and Cossette Media handled the buy, while SociMedia built the site.
The billboards and online ads direct consumers to the site. Nestea also promoted the site through media releases handled by MS&L.
PR efforts are being supported with an Angus Reid Strategies survey of Canadian thoughts on goodness.
More than half of those polled (55%) reported that Canadians are helping each other in abundance, 45% said they always seize the opportunity to perform an act of goodness, and 33% have been so inspired by an act of goodness that they have hugged a stranger to say thank-you.
Nestea Vitao, a product of Beverage Partners Worldwide but marketed and distributed by Coca-Cola Canada, hit store shelves in March 2008.
