All of Wonder Bread’s sliced bread products are now non-GMO certified, and its latest campaign offers an unfiltered assessment on whether or not it has maintained its “same great taste.”
A 30-second lead spot for the campaign posits that if the taste or product quality of the bread had changed, kids are honest enough to let you know, proving that through situations where they point out things like unsightly hairs and signs of aging.
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The campaign is the first for Wonder Bread led by Toronto agency Union, which picked up the AOR assignment last year. Union was previously named AOR for fellow Weston bread brands D’Italiano and Country Harvest in 2016.
Sonia Bongiorno, senior manager of marketing brand build at Weston Foods, says that in addition to transparency around food being increasingly important, consumers see non-GMO products as “a better choice” for their families. However, as is typically the case when companies announce new versions of their products, consumers (especially parents shopping for sometimes picky kids) also want some assurance that the taste and quality have not changed.
“Parents want to make good choices when choosing what to feed their kids and feel good that their kids like what they are eating,” Bongiorno says, referring to the consumer insight behind both the campaign and decision to make its products non-GMO. “We wanted to bring back the genuine playful nature of the Wonder brand with this creative execution and also ensure we were relevant to our target audience. When it comes to food, our target is all about finding a balance with what their family wants to eat that is also reasonably healthy.”
Being the first “mainstream” sliced bread brand to have non-GMO certification across its portfolio is also a differentiator in the bread aisle. While Wonder Bread continues to be a leading brand in bread, according to Bongiorno, the category has been relatively flat for several years. Bringing non-GMO bread to the aisle not only aims to maintain Wonder Bread’s status as an “iconic leader” in the category, but spur growth by introducing products that address families’ health concerns while shopping.
Bongiorno did not disclose exact spend for the new campaign, but says it is a “multi-million” dollar campaign running on TV with high GRPs for its target, in-store merchandising, out-of-home, transit ads and a transit station takeover (during March Break), as well as a digital side that includes online videos and both organic and paid social. New videos with more “truths” will be released around occasions like Mother’s Day, or the hockey and basketball playoffs. Union handled the media planning for the online elements, with Dentsu handling media for TV and OHH. Mosaic is handling influencer partnerships.
