Nestlé’s Turtles Give a Different Kind of Speeding Ticket to Rushed Holiday Shoppers

For many, the holidays are a mad rush of planning, traveling, shopping, cleaning, cooking, and painstakingly detailed preparations as we chase those perfect festive memories with loved ones. Amid all the fast-paced excitement (and stress), Turtles is urging its consumers to slow down with a clever campaign and brand act that turns a speeding ticket—the last thing anyone wants to receive during the busiest time of the year - into a much-needed break.

For its first major act with new AOR, Courage Inc., Turtles placed a speed camera in Sherway Gardens, one of the busiest malls in the Toronto area. When the machine caught shoppers moving faster than the average walking speed, it printed a speeding ticket with a gentle reminder to slow down and make time for the things that really matter: friends and family. Then, instead of issuing a fine, the machine offered a pair of complementary Turtles to share with a loved one. 

“One of the most unifying aspects of the holiday season is that it’s often such a demanding whirlwind of activity,” said Joel Holtby, co-founder and CCO of Courage Inc. “But the Turtles brand we’ve come to know over the years has always represented the exact opposite of that: the importance of finding the time to appreciate the here and now. So, we wanted to create a fun reminder for the treat that naturally compels us to literally stop what we’re doing and just enjoy the moment.”

This sentiment is further explored in a new :30 brand spot supported by broadcast and digital. Directed by Benji Weinstein, the film sees a family speeding through discussions surrounding important holiday plans before taking a moment to collectively enjoy Turtles. To achieve the script’s ambitiously zippy dialogue, the cast trained with Canada's top cattle auctioneer Dean Edge to solidify the ideal speed and cadence.

"Enjoying Turtles over the holidays is such a storied tradition for many Canadian families,” said Ashley Edelstein, marketing director, Nestlé Canada. “We wanted to extend this tradition in a fun, loud and light-hearted way with millennials when they’re at a life stage where they’re developing their own holiday traditions."