Madrí Excepcional has teamed up with one of Toronto’s NBA champions in an attempt to carve out a distinct culinary enclave for Spain within Canada.
The “Uncovering Madrid” campaign by creative agency Wasserman details retired NBA star Serge Ibaka’s return to Toronto for a food-focused content series in collaboration with the Spanish-style beer.
Ibaka, a citizen of Spain, emerged as a fan favourite during the Raptors’ 2019 championship run for his aggressive play on the court and his passion for food and fashion off of it, which he parlayed into his How Hungry Are You YouTube series.
Michelle Sowinski, marketing director of global brands at Molson Coors, Madrí’s brewer in Canada, tells strategy that Ibaka’s wide-ranging expertise made him the right fit to spotlight Spain’s often unheralded gastronomic presence in Canada.
“Serge is a bit of a renaissance man and embodies so many of Madrí’s values,” Sowinski says. “As a citizen of Spain, and a prior resident of Toronto, Serge offers a strong perspective on the best places to find authentic Madridian culture here in Canada.”
The campaign details Ibaka’s trip to Toronto last month that took him to the Spanish Pig in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood to sample cuts of traditional Jamon Iberico and La Paella on Queen Street East to try its variety of tapas.
The content series follows Ibaka’s search for Spanish gastronomy in OLV and debuts the “Serge Stamp,” a selection of his recommended restaurants viewable at Madrí Excepcional’s website and through QR codes on product packaging.
The campaign launched with a Sept. 5 teaser video and will run nationally with targeted ads across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok along with organic social content in English and French. Publicis Connect handled the media buy, which targets a broad subset of drinkers who overlap with NBA and sports fandom. Zeno Group handled PR.
“At it’s core, Madrí Excepcional exists to connect the creative spirit of Madrid to the world’s beer drinkers,” Sowinski adds. “It is important that we not only introduce Madrí as a crisp and smooth Spanish style lager, but also introduced them to the incredible culture Madrid has to offer.”
Madrí Excepcional launched in Canada in April 2024 with a nationwide retail rollout backed by the “Discover the Soul of Madrid” campaign, which targeted NHL fans in arena and activated through OOH and transit takeovers across large urban centres.
