It's no secret Canada has a painfully short patio season. That's why when Canadians are able to descend on patios, the act is treated as more than a pastime, but a serious passion deserving acknowledgement.
And who better to reward these pro-patio moves than the restaurant with the most patios across the country?
Building on its 2021 campaign retraining the nation on 'how to patio' after a long pandemic hiatus, Boston Pizza's new tongue-in-cheek campaign is all about rewarding great patio-ing with a series of Scouts-inspired proficiency badges celebrating a wide range of patio accomplishments.
The 25 badges are accolades for patio moves like levelling a rickety table with a folded coaster, ordering tacos on a day other than Tuesday, and being that person who yells 'Opa!' when a plate breaks on the patio.
“Canadians know how to enjoy a patio better than any nation on Earth - mainly because we know how fleeting those summer days are,” said Cam Boyd, ECD of john st., the agency responsible for the new advertising campaign. “With the most patios in the country, it was Boston Pizza’s responsibility to acknowledge their proficiency and become the place where those in the know, patio.”
To ‘patio like a pro’, people simply have to visit a BP patio and scan the QR code at their table to collect digital badges for their Patio Handbook. The personalised handbook acts as storage for collections, to track progress, and a resource to learn more about the other badges available.
The more people patio at BP, the closer they come to a full collection, and the better chance they have at winning the grand patio prize - which is more patio-ing! Anyone with a full collection at summer’s end will get the chance to win one of five BP gift cards, as well as a real life set of their full badge collection.
"The Patio season is a big deal for us at Boston Pizza," said James Kawalecki, VP of marketing at Boston Pizza. "Those perfect summer days and nights are something we crave all year long. From the perfect outdoor food and drink options, to our fun and lively atmosphere, we've made the BP Patio experience one that rewards anyone who wants to reacquaint themselves with the finer points of patio-ing.”
The national campaign also includes:15 TV spots, social posts, out-of-home, wild postings and radio.