“Think Turkey” is waving the red-and-white flag and putting farmers, rather than food, in the spotlight.
Two new ads in both official languages by longtime agency of record Zeno Group feature real Canadian turkey farmers Scott Olson and Michaël Boulay and include subtle nods to Molson’s iconic, “I am Canadian” ads.
Lisa Cadeau, director of national marketing campaign and brand partnerships at Turkey Farmers of Canada, tells strategy that the latest “Think Turkey” effort leans into the same spirit of national pride that “I am Canadian” did.
“We wanted to put our turkey farmers centre stage and showcase their pride and even be a little playful as they share what makes turkey uniquely Canadian,” Cadeau says.
As a brand, Turkey Farmers typically puts food at the forefront of campaigns. But in a climate where Canadians are taking action with their wallets, the organization felt it necessary to tell a Canadian story.
As Cadeau explains, against the backdrop of a trade war over tariffs, the “Buy Canadian” movement has been a beacon of hope for farmers across the country faced with increased costs and complications.
According to Cadeau, the desire to purchase Canadian has increased significantly over the past few months, and how Canadians end up doing that comes down to many factors, including education.
“Through our social-media campaign, we’re educating shoppers on how to identify if a turkey product is Canadian and encouraging them to ask their grocer or butcher if they’re having trouble locating Canadian turkey products,” Cadeau says. “On our website, we have added a ‘Shop Now’ page that’s also curated with Canadian turkey products to make it even easier.”
A continuing challenge for the organization is getting consumers to think of turkey as an everyday, lean and versatile protein option that can be enjoyed outside of occasions such as Thanksgiving.
Turkey Farmers’ focus is on expanding usage occasions to include Easter (see, below) grilling, easy meals, gym snacks and celebratory brunches. And last year, Pickleball Canada named Think Turkey as the National Protein Partner of Pickleball Canada. These initiatives have led to growing interest in recipes featuring versatile turkey cuts that can be easily substituted into recipes, the organization says.
Meanwhile, the brand is seeing stronger results with new Canadians by approaching the target with cultural relevance and respect. In 2024, Turkey Farmers ran large-scale campaigns across OMNI, Meta and YouTube with adapted ads in Hinglish, Punjabi, Arabic, and Tagalog.
“We also relaunched four in-language grilling hubs on ThinkTurkey.ca, ensuring that anyone clicking through from those ads landed in an experience that reflected their language, with easy-to-follow recipes and techniques,” Cadeau says. In addition, Turkey Farmers had a presence during Punjabi Hockey Night in Canada, “an exciting moment for brand visibility.”
The new campaign launched in March and will run across TV and connected TV, digital media and social media for four weeks. The campaign will also include media integrations with popular morning shows, chef and creator partnerships and digital-retail advertising to encourage Canadians to shop Canadian turkey.
The media investment for the campaign is comparable to other campaigns the organization has run for Easter spring occasions.
“Think Turkey” is also encouraging consumers to seek out Canadian turkey by checking for logos that signify where the product came from.
