2025 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers federation, representing over 11,300 producers and responsible for more than 70% of the world's maple syrup production, sought to increase maple syrup consumption in the U.S. market under the "Maple from Canada" brand. Despite a decade of commercial efforts, the market remained challenging due to strong consumer loyalty to corn syrup and a lack of familiarity about the difference between table syrup and pure maple syrup.

The objectives were twofold: differentiate maple syrup from table syrup (and elevate its perceived value) and stimulate trial and consumption.

The challenge was significant: the brand was relatively unknown in a large, crowded market, with a modest budget of $300,000.

Diners are the perfect spot to enjoy indulging breakfasts, but why would you pay extra for maple syrup over corn syrup (i.e. the default option) when you barely know the difference?

The idea was simple: turning any and every restaurant into a sampling counter: invite Americans to ask for pure maple syrup with their breakfast restaurant orders, even if it costs extra – and Canada will pay for it.

This promotion would not only eliminate any barrier to trial and consumption, but it would also help make for a good media story: Canadian niceness strikes again: Canada will pick up (part of) your tab if you get maple syrup.

The strategy relied heavily on PR and earned media due to limited resources. However, to ensure credibility and impact, the campaign included several premium, high-visibility touchpoints.

The campaign garnered a full-page ad in the New York Times, presented as an open apology to Americans for the higher cost of maple syrup in restaurants. It also featured a few billboards over famous diners with the message, “Ask for pure maple syrup. Canada will pay you back.”

To engage with consumers directly, they also had a website where Americans could claim a refund with a receipt, an online video deployed across the brand's digital ecosystem as well as intensive PR outreach targeting diverse media outlets, including newspapers, TV channels, morning shows, and bloggers.

To further incentivize participation, prepaid credit cards were sent to Americans who claimed a refund.

"Bill the Maple" became the most impactful initiative by the federation in the U.S. market. Within a week of its launch, the campaign generated 132 media mentions, including coverage on Bloomberg Morning Markets, Fox News, The U.S. Sun, and more, resulting in nearly 100M+ potential impressions.

The campaign also drove significant traffic, with nearly 10,000 visits to the BilltheMaple.com website – four times the usual website traffic.

Although the federation does not sell directly to retailers or consumers, a granular analysis of 625 points of sale showed a 4.4% sales increase at Kroger and a 3.8% increase at Winn-Dixie during the campaign period, with represented market share gains of 2.1% and 0.9%, respectively, in the syrup category.

Credits

CCO: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick, Daniel Lobatón
CSO: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Writer: Nicolas Dubois, Nicolas Labbé
Art Director: Claudia Barbiero
Head of Strategy: Pascal Routhier
Strategist: Anastasia Mojaïsky
Public Relations Director: Kristel Dupont
Public Relations Coordinator: Mégane Landry
Director of Integrated Content - Print/Studio: AJ Merrick
Associate Director of Integrated Production: Kate A. Spencer
Senior Integrated Producer: Terri Winter
Studio Manager: Todd Bennett
Studio Artist: Steph Sherwood, Justin Chan
Studio Retoucher: Todd Bennett, Kostas Loukopoulos
Head of Accounts: Mélanie Châteauneuf
Account Director: Victor Brunton
Account Manager: Adriana Marquis-Duzink, Geneviève Rioux
Content Photographer/Cinematographer: Denis Gutiérrez-Ogrinc
Editor/Online/VFX/Motion Graphics: Thomas Mckeen
Audio Engineer: Ed Zych
Post Production Supervisor: Shannon Ing
Digital Team (landing page): Ken Malley, Alex Fleming, Dustin Gamble
Media Agency: CROSSMEDIA
Director, Investment Publishing and OOH: Deborah Small-Augi
Group Account Director: Jennifer Dolan
Account Director: Emily Andrews
Incentive Parter: Incentive Insights
Director of Operations: Shawn Phillips

Client:
Director - Market Development and Promotion: David Marino
Project Manager - Communication and Promotion: Noémie Durand