Think Turkey is inviting celebrants to the Thanksgiving table and doing outreach to post-secondary students and next-gen consumers.
As a collaboration between the Turkey Farmers of Canada, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors and the Turkey Primary Processing Sector, Think Turkey’s new “Here’s to Thanksgiving” campaign brings the organization back to TV.
Commercials are being aired in English and French Canada with two 30-second spots that share the reason behind gathering for Thanksgiving through the story of two farming families: the Boulays from Quebec – in a campaign which launched this week – and The Brubachers from Ontario, which first aired in 2023.
The latest work includes national TV, digital, social and retail to encourage more people to celebrate with Canadian turkey this season, similar to other successful Canadiana-themed strategies Turkey Farmers have leveraged in the past to generate interest among the 25-54 set.
This year, the organization is also getting post-secondary students to think about the bird over the fall season, says Lisa Cadeau, Turkey Farmers’ director of national marketing campaign and brand partnerships, launching a Join Thanksgiving Fund with $20,000 in grants, as part of a team-up with recent graduate and chef, Liam Lewis.
Until September 23, post-secondary student groups and faculty are invited to visit Think Turkey’s Join Thanksgiving microsite to apply to receive one of eight $2,500 grants towards their on-campus celebrations.
As Cadeau says, the campaign began with the insight that some students are left out of the Thanksgiving tradition on campuses across Canada because they can’t make it home or don’t have a community to celebrate with.
“Our goal is to boost interest in Thanksgiving and welcome the next generation to the tradition,” Cadeau says. “For students who might be new to Canada, we’re aiming to create a greater understanding of how and why we celebrate. In doing so, we’re hoping to inspire the next generation of hosts to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive.”
The “Here’s to Thanksgiving” campaign is being activating through paid social on TikTok and Instagram targeting Gen Z students, as well as through PR, organic social, website, and newsletter.
Zeno is the organization’s full-service marketing AOR, and has been working on the national Think Turkey campaign for Turkey Farmers of Canada since 2019.
