IGA is running another holiday spot which tugs at the heartstrings, and revolves around kitchen camaraderie.
“The Trophy” tells the heartwarming story of a hard-nosed grandpa bonding with his granddaughter over his love of hockey and her love of baking, introducing one another to novel experiences, and culminating in them baking a cake shaped like a trophy.
Like prior IGA holiday activations, including last year’s effort to contribute to pediatric hospital Fondation Charles Bruneau through origami, there’s a giving component. The grocery banner is matching social media shares with $1 contributions – up to a maximum of $50,000 – in support of Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest, taking place in 2022 for the first time in Quebec.
The Scotiabank led event is a forum where young female athletes can spend half a day learning from some of the top female players in Canada. It’s designed to make hockey more accessible to young girls and teach them skills that will serve them well both on and off the ice.
“The Trophy” is a campaign that’s meant to connect with audiences emotionally and give back to the community during the festive season, according to Caroline Duhamel, marketing director at IGA.
“The link between sports, food and family is a core component of IGA’s corporate engagement, both through major sponsorships and locally through the generous support merchants provide to their communities,” she adds.
Julie Desrochers, creative director at Sid Lee, tells strategy that wanting to help girls in hockey represents a white space, especially given all the attention brands typically give to the pros and the NHL. However, the emotional core of the commercial acknowledges the impact of the pandemic on seniors and their younger loved ones.
The campaign, she says, was eight months in the making, when no one knew what kind of holidays we would be having. “We thought the connection [between a grandfather and granddaughter] would be really powerful and reflective of people’s experiences,” Desrochers says.
When IGA started doing feel-good animated holiday spots four years ago, the plan was that it would be an ongoing giving tradition. “People like the fact we’re not pushy, and respectful and in tune with the zeitgeist,” she says of the positive reception the platform continues to receive.
When it comes to targeting, Desrochers says it’s really broad and is meant to appeal to everyone .
Animation for the film is by Mathematic Studio, with a soundtrack by Circonflex. Once again, scripting was the work of a multidisciplinary team of talents at Sid Lee.
“The Trophy” will run on television, the web and social media platforms in English and French until the new year.
