New York Fries (NYF) is aiming to give its consumers’ taste buds “something to sing about” and connect with more contemporary music choices in its campaign.

The brand’s latest ads, developed by Juniper Park/TBWA, is based on a combination of images of its fries, poutine and loaded hot dogs, alongside contemporary musical themes that range from soulful country ballads to edgy garage rock.

The spots aim to be accessible and engaging, with visuals and catchy songs put together to grab consumers’ attention in an unexpected way, NYF’s marketing director Alyssa Berenstein tells strategy. The choice of contemporary, sing-along-friendly songs helps tie NYF’s menu to memorable and trendy music, Berenstein says.

“The tone of the campaign is on brand for NYF, and is fun, contemporary and engaging, and aims to position NYF as a trendsetter in the Canadian food service industry,” she says.

The ads are part of the brand’s “Give Your Tastebuds Something to Sing About” campaign that originally launched in 2021, with the new ads introducing more contemporary, accessible music. Berenstein says NYF has continued to focus on this concept since then, because it resonates with the public more than deals of the day and other discount tactics. NYF has also been incorporating pop culture and humor as key elements of its marketing strategy, and has been highlighting the brand’s commitment to quality and taste, and this campaign emphasizes all of that, Berenstein says.

“The combination of trendy fry-themed original songs with highly appetizing visuals creates a memorable, engaging ad that connects emotionally with consumers through entertainment and cultural relevance,” Berenstein says. “Thus, strengthening brand affinity and driving consumer engagement by capturing the audience’s attention amidst the clutter of other ads.”

Specifically, the campaign aims to reach young adults, including Millennials and Gen Z, who are looking for food options that fit their busy lifestyles. It also seeks to reach out to families and people looking to enjoy food together on their outings to the mall, keeping in mind that most NYF locations are in mall food courts.

NYF is also looking to reach sports fans, following a sponsorship deal it signed with TSN’s Thursday Night Football in January.

Berenstein says this demo is known to be the largest food court shopper, making it an ideal audience for NYF’s offerings. “This sponsorship is a strategic move to appeal to sports fans, particularly those who tend to frequent food court restaurants, and introduce the brand to a new target market, which is over-indexes in home delivery,” she says.

The biggest opportunity for the brand now is to expand beyond the traditional mall shopper. That’s why NYF is investing in reaching out to sports fans both at home and in restaurants and bars, Berenstein adds.

The new spots will air throughout the summer, running through September with a rotation of six catchy songs, across YouTube, Sportsnet, specialty TV on Corus, and TSN. Genuine Retail Media handled media buying, while Zeno Group Canada managed PR. Total media spend was approximately $600,000, the company says.