Quaker is bringing back its “Quaker Breakfast Bar” campaign by travelling to Délı̨ne, Northwest Territories, and transforming the kitchen of the Jerry Vital Memorial Arena.
The campaign, which was launched last year with the kitchen makeover at the Navan Memorial Centre and Arena in Ottawa, aims to help hockey communities continue to thrive, while highlighting the brand as the ideal meal to start the day.
In partnership with Colby Armstrong, a former NHL hockey player and current Sportsnet news anchor, the PepsiCo brand created a two-minute documentary to show how the kitchen renovation featuring the brand’s colours and products turned out at Jerry Vital Memorial. The segment highlights that the makeover is about enriching Délı̨ne, which has long claimed to be birthplace of hockey, by fostering passion for the sport both inside and outside the arena.
The video will air on Sportsnet this Saturday night, Oct. 12, the first Hockey Night in Canada of the 2024-2025 NHL season.
“This campaign aims to champion the hockey community. Not the big-time sports teams but the local ones,” says Logan Chambers, senior director of marketing at PepsiCo Foods Canada. “The ‘Quaker Breakfast Bar’ renovations provide nutritious, time-conscious breakfast time options and snacks to the hockey community and beyond, and gives them a little reminder that ‘they’ve Got This.'”
Chambers tells strategy that Délı̨ne was the perfect partner for the second year of the campaign because of its strong connection to the sport and a deep-rooted connection to oats, which are used in local dishes. The brand also chose the community as its arena has been more than just a place to play hockey: it’s a hub where Délı̨ne First Nations gather, play sports, drum, dance, sew and share meals throughout the year, Chambers says.
Home to local teams the Délı̨ne Braves and the Délı̨ne Chiefs (also known as the Oldtimers), the Jerry Vital Memorial Arena also serves as a training ground for a free annual field hockey camp run by NHL players to inspire the next generation of athletes, Chambers adds.
According to him, the campaign aligns with Quaker’s “You’ve Got This” global brand platform, which celebrates consumers’ everyday triumphs and supports local communities. Like its previous initiatives, such as Humble Runner – in which the brand trained a Toronto high school teacher to run his first half marathon – this campaign focuses on providing nourishment and support so people can meet their goals with confidence.
“We are spotlighting local hockey communities and their love of the game, reminding them that Quaker is by their side,” Chambers says.
The campaign is being promoted through TV and cinema commercials in English and French, as well as through Meta, TikTok and YouTube. The brand also partnered with hockey players to show how they incorporate Quaker products into their daily lives and how the products prepare them for the day.
Behaviour handled creative, while OMD was in charge of media buying, Edelman, PR and Praxis, social media.