2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Black Diamond Cheestrings has been a strong player in the market for years, but with increased competition and the effects of the pandemic, the brand's market share was declining. To combat this, we needed to inject some excitement into the brand and connect with Canadians on an emotional level. Research showed that nearly half of Cheestrings' consumers didn't have children in their household, but instead were millennials who grew up on the snack in the 90s. This presented an opportunity to capture a large audience that had been passed over for younger generations.

To appeal to this audience, we launched the "Keep It Cheesy" platform in August 2022 with a giant billboard in Toronto's Yonge and Dundas Square. The billboard was designed to look like an online classified ad soliciting trade offers for a single Cheestring, and intentionally kept low-fi and unbranded to avoid suspicion. We included a phone number and hired an actor to field calls and play the role of a professional trader.

The campaign was a big hit, garnering 245 million earned media impressions and 67 pieces of earned coverage from major media outlets. The billboard brought in over 1,000 offers ranging from a Shaquille O’Neal rookie card to someone’s mom, but at the end of the day, we knew that nothing was good enough to trade and didn't accept any offers, not even a yacht.

Overall, the campaign successfully connected with millennials on an emotional level, elevating the product above commodity status and combatting market effects. The "Keep It Cheesy" platform continues to resonate with consumers, bringing out their inner kid and reminding them to have fun.

Credits

Campaign Title: For Trade: One Cheestring
Client: Lactalis Canada Inc.
Brand: Cheestrings
Vice President, Marketing - Cheese & Tablespreads - Lactalis: Sabrina Zollo
Marketing Director, Black Diamond & Tablespreads: Enrique Larez

Creative Agency: Broken Heart Love Affair
Chief Business Officer: Beverley Hammond
Creative Directors: Jordan Hamer, Spencer Ryan
Writer: Jordan Hamer
Art Director: Spencer Ryan
SVP Strategy: Kristy Pleckaitis
Integrated Producer: Demi Veselinovic
Junior Producer: Olivia Cousineau
VP, Client Success: Joline Matika
Supervisor, Client Success: Annabel Harding
Production Designer: Daniel Ong

Casting: Mann Casting

Media Agency: Epitaph