Gadoua is adapting its established positioning for a healthier segment to connect with Quebec consumers with a new product line.
New TV and online spots feature Quebec comedian Phil Roy in grocery stores, talking about Gadoua’s new line of “Plein d’grains” whole grain breads to clerks and staff.
[iframe_youtube video = “dWeVAgn_nFs”]
Gadoua is a brand with over 100 years of history in the Quebec market. Nicole Pekerman, director of brand and marketing services at Weston, says Gadoua has 99% unaided brand awareness in the province, and that consumers have a strong affinity for a positioning that uses history, nostalgia and humour to promote the great taste of the bread. However, it is primarily known for white bread, and decided to capitalize on the demand for healthier, whole grain options in the bread category, but using that same brand personality.
“Some of the consumer research showed that other brands in the region that make whole grain bread aren’t known for tasting good,” Pekerman says. “But we didn’t want this to be just chasing a trend. We wanted to see if there was a demand in the marketplace, and we found it was the taste piece that Gadoua is known for that drove that need.”
Pekerman says the campaign is meant to give a nod to Gadoua’s previous work. It features the tagline “Plein d’grains, plein d’bon” (“Lots of grains, lots of goodness”), which is purposefully similar to the tagline “Quand c’est bon, c’est bon” (“When it’s good, it’s good”) and was previously used in a 2016 brand relaunch campaign featuring comedian Lise Dion. Weston will continue to work with Dion as a spokesperson for Gadoua’s portfolio of white bread, but bringing in Roy – a comedian who is also known for documenting his own personal health and fitness journey – also helps to connect to the health benefits associated with whole grain bread.
“We wanted to angle it a little different from a benefit perspective,” Peckerman says. “There’s a nod to the past and a campaign people loved, having that same humour and focus on taste, while being rooted in more of the health benefits the grains bring, but with a spokesperson that has a slightly different perspective and sense of humour.”
In addition to the TV spots, the campaign features pre-roll ads, out-of-home, digital banners and point-of-sale material. The campaign was led by Montreal agency Bob, its first with the brand since being named its lead agency in Quebec in October, with DentsuBos on media.
