Residents of Vancouver’s west end had to watch their step this summer. In what might be the smallest OOH campaign ever, 500 small pots planted with vegetables with signs reading, ‘A small taste of the farm – West Valley Market,’ were put on doorsteps and in public places and were free to take home. Next, miniature scenes appeared outside condos and on grassy verges to promote the small, family-run grocery store.

The mini models, set up mid-summer by Taxi Vancouver, depict roughly a dozen scenes, such as a tiny farm, a diminutive Zen garden and a miniscule Italian feast. Signs with slogans like ‘A small taste of Japan’ and ‘A small taste of Italy’ along with the store’s name explain the wee tableaus.

‘We really wanted to separate ourselves from the big box stores and how they advertise,’ explains store owner Colin Lo. And what better way to distinguish itself as the local indie option than a miniature campaign?

Branded magnets in the shape of tiny food items were also placed throughout the neighbourhood on lampposts, fire hydrants and virtually any other metal object the Taxi staff could find. A clever bit of connection planning as long as locals don’t have magnet-foiling stainless steel fridges.