The Federation of Milk Producers of Québec (FMPQ) thinks that cheese is a good stand-in for champagne.
The association’s new campaign includes three TV spots (two in French, one in English), showcasing how cheeses from Quebec can play a role in life’s special moments. One spot shows a couple sitting down to a platter of Quebec cheeses after finally purchasing their first home.
“In Quebec [cheese] is a part of our tradition,” says Nicole Dubé, marketing director at the FMPQ. “It’s so close to us, and that’s why it was easier to make a story around that.”
The new effort is an extension of the “Our Cheeses/Fromages d’ici” campaign, developed by Cossette’s Quebec City office, that launched over Christmas. That effort sparked a 4% increase in sales, prompting the new iteration, which Dubé hopes will result in an overall sales spike of 5%.
Interesting media placement is also part of the recipe. Fifteen-second teasers incorporated into Astral Media shows share upbeat life stories. Print ads featuring recipes and illustrated tales – like how a family celebrates the arrival of the weekend with a cheese spread – have been placed in magazines, and newspaper placements in Métro and the Saturday Actuel gourmand section of La Presse are also on the menu.
To highlight the emphasis on storytelling, bookmarks are placed inside the magazines and are being distributed at Archambault bookstores.
The creative drives to Fromagesdici.com/Ourcheeses.com, where fromage aficionados can check out more than 250 recipes, tips on how to appreciate and store different cheeses, prepare a tasting, serve fondue and pair cheese with wine or beer.
advertiser: Quebec Milk Producers
agency: Cossette
VP creative/writer: Yvon Brossard
CDs: Steve Blanchet, Daniel Ouellet
ADs: Sonia Girouard, Steve Blanchet
account services: Martine Delagrave, Julie Simard
agency producer: Lyne Leclair
prodco: Cinélande
