Bronze: Integration
Nothing brings Canadians together like hockey. But when the “Kraft Hockeyville” program was cancelled in late 2012 due to the NHL lockout, the brand had to find another way to capture the emotional connection Canucks have with the game.
“Kraft Hockey Goes On,” created with the help of Juniper Park, LPi Group and Edelman, celebrated hockey during a “hockey-less” season and gave back to the players, parents, volunteers and communities that bring passion to the ice.
In early 2013, Kraft launched the program across the country, using in-store, traditional, digital and social platforms. The brand asked Canadians to nominate someone from their community who had helped ensure hockey continued. One hundred finalists were presented to the public for voting, with the top contenders winning one of five grand prizes ($100,000) or one of 20 secondary prizes ($20,000) for their minor hockey league association.
There was also a media tour with professional players Hayley Wickenheiser and Patrice Brisebois, and a partnership with TSN and RDS to launch the program during the World Juniors gold medal game, with promotion via editorial content, billboards and live winner announcements. TSN’s James Duthie and RDS’s Marc Denis were also program ambassadors.
A Facebook page was created along with the hashtag #Saythanks, and YouTube videos featuring Team Canada players were uploaded. The brand was also a sponsor of Hockey Canada and donated $100,000 to the Learn to Skate program.
The “Kraft Hockey Goes On” program exceeded expectations with over 1,000 nominations and 2.99 million votes in 36 hours. PR surpassed targets by 31%, generating over 221 million impressions.
Credits:
Brand: Kraft Canada
Senior consumer promotions nanager: Joanna Milroy
Consumer promotions: Vio Perez, Charles Fung
Shopper marketing: Isabelle Boulos, Megan Bentham-Campbell, Richard Rodgers, Julian Franklin, Paloma Clarke, Holly Anderson, Christina Mehra, Sheema Khan
Director shopper marketing: Jennifer Salter
Agencies: Juniper Park, LPi Group, Edelman
