Agency: Grey Canada
My Project Role: Lead Art Direction, Concept
Executive Creative Director: Patrick Scissons
CD / Copy Writer: James Ansley
ACD / Art Director: Todd Lawson
Director:Yael Staav
Producers: Sam Benson
Editing: Posterboy/Crush
Audio: Eggplant
Filmed in Chile over 3 days (which included a helicopter ride up to 14,000 feet) – These spots were part of a national US relaunch of Grape-Nuts Cereal (the oldest manufactured cereal in America) and New Grape-Nuts Fit. The concept revolved around the fact that Sir Edmund Hillary – who was part of the first team to conquer Mount Everest in 1953 and one half of a climb team where were the first to summit – did so with Grape-Nuts in his pocket. We launched the new brand positioning with the messaging “If Grape-Nuts could help them reach the top of their mountain, just imagine what it can do for you. Grape-Nuts. What’s Your Mountain?”
Television was accompanied with online preroll and digital advertising units, in-store, sampling, PR and social activations which told the story and asked consumers to tell us their mountains. From running their first 5k all the way to climbing a mountain.
Situation Analysis:
Post Grape-Nuts, part of American history since 1897, had experienced a steady sales decline in recent years (-9% in 2011), with brand perception slumping to an all-time low as purchase frequency dwindled. With newer, more exciting entrants to the category and breakfast offerings exploding beyond the borders of ready-to-eat cold cereal, the core user group was becoming too small to continue sustaining the business.
Insight & Strategy:
With taste and texture barriers to Grape-Nuts preventing new user acquisition, growth could still be achieved by increasing penetration with light and medium users, and bringing lapsed users back to the franchise. Research identified that, to become relevant again, there needed to be a connection between Grape-Nuts “fuel” properties and the active lifestyle, goal-oriented consumers.
Execution:
Launched nationally across the U.S., “What’s Your Mountain” asked, if Grape-Nuts could help Sir Edmund Hillary conquer Everest in 1953, what could it do for consumers to help them reach the top of their “mountain”? Running across television, digital, social, PR and sampling, the campaign juxtaposed archived footage from the first Everest climb against modern day scenarios of individuals conquering their own “mountain” goals.
Results:
The launch of “What’s Your Mountain” grew Grape-Nuts’ sales 3% in dollar volume and 6% in units in a declining category (-3%) and declining “healthy” segment (-6%). Revenue increased 8% and market share increased from 0.6 to 0.8, driven by penetration increasing one point. The Facebook community grew from 185,000 to 254,000 fans, double the target of 20%, while all key KPI metrics experienced positive traction.
Awarded Cassie Bronze for Canadian work on the global stage.