PepsiCo brand Quaker Canada kicked off its “Unlock Amazing” charitable campaign Sept. 2, and there’s a retail element coming up that’s expected to increase basket size in competitive categories.

The in-store program runs nationally Oct. 16 to Nov. 20 in grocery banners like Loblaw and Metro and will see Quaker donating a packet of instant oatmeal to Food Banks Canada for every purchase of a participating product. These products span three categories and include but aren’t limited to Quaker Instant Oatmeal and Hearty Medleys Instant Multigrain Hot Cereal; Life, Harvest Crunch and Cap’nCrunch cold cereals; and Chewy, Dipps and Fibre & Omega granola bars.

Quaker’s CSR push has also unlocked amazing beyond-the-aisle profiles. The participating products will be on three to four pallets per store, dressed up with wobblers, header cards and base wraps placed around the perimeter of the stores, all created by Mark IV Promotions. There will also be a dump bin shaped like a bowl near the pallets to drive awareness and store additional product.

Large Quaker "bowls" filled with product will be placed close to pallets in store.

“This is the first time we have leveraged the power of our brand to fully integrate the in-store event as a part of a massive Quaker 360 brand campaign,” says Michelle Crowley, senior marketing manager, Quaker Canada. “We are expecting an unprecedented consumer participation rate.”

The campaign aims to donate a million packets of cereal, raise brand awareness and drive sales through the retail piece. The campaign kicked off on Facebook, with digital by Juniper Park, allowing people to virtually donate cereal by clicking on their favourite Quaker Instant Oatmeal flavour. It was supported at mass by a TV commercial running nationally since Sept. 7, with creative by Juniper Park and media by OMD.

Messaging from the digital campaign will be adapted to speak more directly to shoppers in store, so that the Facebook messaging – “You pick a box. We donate. Together let’s fight hunger” – will change to “Buy Quaker [with images of participating products pictured here], Help Feed Food Banks Canada.”

The in-store presence will create a clear path to purchase for consumers, says Crowley. “The value to the retailer in having multiple categories featured together in-store is that it has the potential to increase the number of products a consumer will purchase during a trip…thus increasing store revenues.”

– With files from Val Maloney