Gay Lea is looking to “whip” people into a frenzy by way of a pop-up cafe at Stackt Market in Toronto.

Running until Oct. 1, the Pumpkin Spice Café by Gay Lea offers guests a range of free fall-inspired drinks, lattes, mochas and hot cocoas.

The Café was created to promote its line-up of Gay Lea whipped toppings, including a limited-edition Pumpkin Spice Coconut flavour.

“As a whole, it creates an intimate conversation and experience with consumers that allows the product to come to life in a real and timely way,” says Sara Abe, Gay Lea Foods’ senior director of marketing. “We are always looking to provide new and innovative products to our consumers and whip is one of the key categories that Gay Lea Foods focuses on, making the limited-edition Pumpkin Spice Whipped Topping an exciting addition to the line-up.”

This immersive festive pop-up will feature the fall-themed café alongside a photo-friendly pumpkin patch installation.

Abe tells strategy the event is to target pumpkin spice lovers as whole, especially those who like to elevate their at-home experience with whipped toppings as “a dollop of whip can help consumers share joy in everyday moments.”

The activation continues with Gay Lea’s “Share Joy” messaging, a brand positioning which first came into being via agency partner Blackjet in 2022, part of an effort to have its ads be less product-centric.

Earned media and influencer efforts are being handled by Art PR, with paid influencer work being done through Toronto digital marketing agency Qode.

Last fall, Gay Lea ran an activation at Mississauga’s Square One shopping centre featuring comically sized giant baking utensils as part of its “Share Joy” campaign, donating one dollar to the BGC Canada for every image of the experience shared on social media.