To spread the word about an old favourite returning to its menu, A&W took a more cinematic approach.

The QSR brand wanted to advertise the recent return of the Whistle Dog to its Canadian menu, but rather than a traditional marketing campaign, the announcement was presented to consumers through a short documentary titled Bring Back the Whistle Dog.

The Whistle Dog, which is a hot dog in a toasted bun that’s topped with relish, cheddar cheese and bacon, left the A&W menu in 2017, before returning this month in locations across the country as a limited-time offer. After A&W removed the Whistle Dog from its menu, fans of the menu item created petitions, rallied support and filled social media comment sections with requests to bring it back. When the menu item was revived once previously in 2022, it quickly sold out.

A&W decided to capitalize on fan fervour for an old favourite by shooting an 18-minute documentary that profiles five “Whistle Dog warriors” who have long campaigned to bring the menu item back. Filmed in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, the documentary was created to show the devotion that fans feel for the Whistle Dog.

“The documentary captures the emotional connection we all have with food,” Rethink creative director Bob Simpson tells strategy.

“The Whistle Dog was a menu item they grew up with, whether they were eating it themselves or seeing their parents or family members enjoy it, that powerful sense of nostalgia can really come through with food. Our goal was to capture that nostalgic love for something cherished from their past.”

Simpson adds that he hopes the film shows companies listen to their customers, even if acting on consumer demand isn’t always as easy as it seems. The film aims to capture the back-and-forth between consumer desires and corporate challenges.

Prior to the Whistle Dog’s 2022 revival, Simpson says the plan to promote the menu item was to show up at the front door of passionate fans who had long called for its return, and capture their reaction on camera to the Whistle Dog being brought back.

But Simpson says when they realized that fans’ surprise would only take a few minutes to shoot, the agency became more ambitious to work with the film crew it had hired, and Rethink then proposed the idea of producing a short film instead. A&W agreed.

“As we dug into these people and the history of the Whistle Dog, the more we realized we were sitting on a very interesting story, far too compelling to be captured in a single brand spot,” Simpson says.

“Unfortunately, the Whistle Dog had sold out by the time we were ready to release the documentary, so we had to pause its release, not wanting to drive any more traffic to the restaurants for something that wasn’t available. It would have to wait for next time.”

In the meantime, Rethink submitted the doc to film festivals around the world, with 42 festivals across 15 countries screening the doc. After seeing such a positive global reaction to the creative, A&W made the documentary the backbone of a PR campaign to promote the Whistle Dog this year.

Simpson adds that the film is aimed at multiple generations who grew up eating the Whistle Dog, and younger people whose siblings or parents may have nostalgia for it, as well.

The documentary premiered at Vancouver’s Rio Theatre in front of hundreds of audience members. It was developed with creative agency Rethink and produced by R+D Productions.