Nutella turns its jars into celebrations of Canada’s best views

Nutella is celebrating the beauty of Canada, in a campaign inspired by a global brand campaign.

“Love Your Country” was a successful campaign that ran in Ferrero’s home base of Italy. A local adaptation, “Savour the Beauty of Canada,” is a 360-degree campaign that celebrates this country’s diverse landscapes and culinary delights, while bringing people together through their love of Nutella and creating unique recipes.

The campaign also features eight collectable Nutella jars available nationally at all major retail grocery chains until the end of summer. They showcase iconic landscapes, such as the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia and Niagara Falls. Each jar includes a QR code that drives to regional recipes on a dedicated microsite, informed by heightened interest in recipe content. It also includes a big travel contest valued at $10,000, in partnership with Parks Canada (five of the locations are national parks).

“The Italian campaign was about celebrating the love of Italy with awe-inspiring landscapes and regional recipes,” says Joanne Farber, director of marketing for Nutella Canada, adding that the Nutella jar is also iconic and immediately recognizable, making it the perfect canvas to showcase the love of your country. The brand wanted to replicate the beauty and simplicity of the program for Canada. “By picking up a jar, we’re also encouraging Canadians to try the various regional breakfast recipes and find new ways to enjoy Nutella.”

The campaign includes TV, digital (see, below), out-of-home, social, in-store and PR.

“We’ve tried to mirror [the creative concept] with our media and marketing mix,” Farber says. “With awe-inspiring imagery on the jars, we wanted to invest in different media opportunities to drive greater visibility and showcase the jars and landscapes, including digital billboards in Western Canada and airport advertising in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary,” Farber says. Nutella is also showcasing the campaign with a three-panel wrap on a high visibility streetcar in Toronto.

The CPG has invested in digital billboards, but is also using the jar imagery in a unique way. “Depending on the time of day, you’ll see a different campaign image and location. In the morning, Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia or Banff National Park in Alberta with daytime scenery will be featured but as the day goes on, you’ll see Wapusk National Park in Manitoba with its nighttime imagery.”

The Ferrero brand also partnered with Toronto Adventures Humber River Paddling Centre and offered up free canoes, kayaks and paddleboards for rental this past Saturday.

In terms of influencer marketing, Farber says it’s always been part of the mix, whether it’s for World Nutella Day or Nutella Pancake Day. Schitt’s Creek star Emily Hampshire is returning to the campaign after supporting World Nutella Day in February, as is Joseph Tito from parenting website The Dad Diaries.

The media campaign runs throughout the summer.

Creative is by Publicis Montreal, with Golin on PR, experiential, influencer relations and social. PHD Media handled the media buy, while partnerships and contesting was by Solutions with Impact.