IGA Quebec debuts 3-D television commercial

Moving away from the “slice of life” advertising approach typically used by the food sector, Quebec’s IGA chain has launched the first in a series of whimsical 30-second spots featuring 3-D animation for television in English and French.

Using 3-D was a powerful way of delivering the message and imagery of what happens when food is good and fresh, said Marie Amiot, account director at Sid Lee, the creative agency that created the spots along with Montreal visual effects studio Shed.

“If we wanted to do that in the real world context, or conventional production, in some cases it would have been non-credible,” Amiot said.

Guy Terroux, vice-president of marketing, Sobeys Quebec, adds that animation allowed the spots to be greater than life. "Each one of the seven 30-second spots will show one message. It's all about the customer experience of the IGA stores."

All the TV ads take place inside an IGA store and focus on the shopping experience and pleasure of eating. “At a time when everyone is talking about prices and big chains, IGA is putting a lot of effort on value-added service,” said Amiot.

The first spot shows a man putting various fruit and vegetables into his cart and the displays magically growing produce again to restock themselves. Since the ad's debut on its Facebook page a few weeks ago, Terroux said it has been viewed more than 7,000 times.

Upcoming spots will highlight the joy of food and what makes the IGA shopping experience special: its value-added services, product freshness, exclusive Quebec products, complimentary items and Air Miles.

The seven animated spots that will be presented over the next two years and aren’t tied to a specific season or promotion.

The next ad will air on the IGA Facebook page on Thursday deals with the customer service found in IGA's meat department.

Watch the video here: IGA_Very fresh_EN-video