The dairy lobbies of B.C. and Alberta have launched a quirky new campaign to showcase how odd some of the most delicious snacks would be without milk products.
The BC Dairy and Alberta Milk campaign, developed by Taxi, is aimed at the younger consumer audience – particularly Gen Z , who are less likely to consume dairy products in part due to the fact they feel ashamed of buying them.
“While previous generations already view dairy as a key ingredient for making food and drinks taste delicious, Gen Z’s didn’t have the same associations amongst a sea of options in today’s grocery aisles,” says Jennifer Woron, director of market development at BC Dairy. “We wanted to show this next wave of food lovers – in a humorous way – that without the incomparable taste of dairy, some of our favourite staple dishes are just plain disappointing.”
The campaign spotlights a number of dishes that would commonly require dairy products – and how people might enjoy them without such products. For example, in one spot, a grandmother aggressively dunks her chocolate chip cookie in a glass of water before flinging some of it on her disbelieving grandson. Another shows a group trying to drink mango lassi made without yogurt, comparing the experience to using a waterslide without water.
This is not the first time that the lobbies – especially BC Dairy – have sought to make explicit connections between dairy products and the meals they are used to create.
It is also not the first campaign aimed at younger consumers, whom dairy lobbies generally are trying to win over with more creative executions, as opposed to the health-oriented messaging of past eras.
“The work feels like it took a complete left turn from what would have been expected,” says James Sadler, ECD of TAXI Vancouver. “We’re proud to say that the resulting pieces are weird, wonderful, fresh, and entirely rewatchable.”
Social, digital and OOH elements of the campaign launched in October, with the TV buy beginning last week. The campaign will run until March 5. OMD handled media.
