Unilever and IGA serve up a shopper marketing program

Unilever is inspiring shoppers to cook dishes with a bit of pizzazz. The company has, for the sixth year, teamed up with Bob agency to create a summer-themed multi-brand marketing program for the IGA. While last year’s theme focused on the tagline “Un été pas compliqué” (an uncomplicated summer), the 2015 campaign encourages Quebec families to have “Un été savoureux” (a summer to savour). The program highlights Unilever’s main food brands–Hellmann’s and Becel and Knorr– in the Quebec market. Dominic Prigent, director of shopper marketing at Bob, says the program is meant to inspire and offer meal solutions for the summer season “beyond the traditional one-fit-all Canada-wide recipe booklet.” For the second year, the program is featuring well-known chef Mélanie Marchand. “This year, the campaign turns around a cooking class with your friend Mélanie,” explained Prigent in an email to Canadian Grocer. “Beyond the spring/summer recipes on Unilever’s respective websites, Mélanie shares ideas and tips.” Suggestions to elevate a salad recipe, for example, might include adding pears and apples for crunch, or pomegranate seeds for colour. Pringent says the base of the campaign remains the same as last year, but creatively the concept is more polished.

Icons and ingredient pictures layered over a blackboard motif adds some fun and dynamism, he says. In-store activations include display pallets and recipe booklets. The campaign will also be promoted in IGA’s flayer and the Quebec magazine 7 jours. The target market is moms 35-55. “She is married with kids living at home,” said Prigent. “With a busy schedule, she prefers to cook simple, easy-to-prepare dinners… but she enjoys putting her own twist on everyday meals.” The campaign launched on May 28 and is scheduled to run for two to four weeks. A second phase of the campaign will launch in October.