Sid Lee Montreal Creates New Platform for Iconic Canadian Coffee Brand Van Houtte
Van Houtte, who are recognised as one of Canada’s 150 iconic brands, are approaching its 100th anniversary with a new voice for a timeless message. As Canadians have grown more sophisticated and discerning in their tastes, and the coffee market more fiercely competitive than ever, Van Houtte is launching one of its largest advertising campaigns yet. Van Houtte will bring its story coast to coast, vividly demonstrating that the Van Houtte brand remains fresher than ever and reminding Canada that it stands apart as long-time crafters of a masterpiece in every cup.
Since 1919, the Van Houtte Master Roaster has been dedicated to transforming each and every bean. And just like a taste magician, he reveals all the richness and flavours of coffee and shares his passion and enthusiasm through every cup. The Master Roaster brings coffee to life, and a tribute to his art will be at the heart of the brand’s new strategy.
“Over the weeks and months to come, Canadians will be hearing much more about Van Houtte”, said Caroline Losson Marketing Vice-President, Keurig Canada. “And we will draw inspiration from the other celebrated ‘Vans’, who were masters in their own right.”
The Van Houtte campaign will make a creative analogy between the Van Houtte Master Roaster and some of history’s greatest masters, using images and sounds from other great Vans: Van Gogh’s paintings, Van Beethoven’s symphonies, Van Damme’s sideways splits and Eddie Van Halen’s celebrated guitar virtuosity.
Van Halen, one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, will energize the campaign with a dynamic theme. He has composed an original riff for the Van Houtte campaign, a caffeinated coda to support the concept that extraordinary flavour comes from a heritage of excellence. While the campaign is meant to be playful, it was created with scrupulous attention to detail. To assure authenticity, the coffee roasting scenes were supervised by a master roaster, the style of guitar playing carefully replicated Van Halen’s renowned stage show, and the famous Van Damme splits were performed just as he did them in his movies.
To celebrate further its Canadian iconic status, Van Houtte was proud to tap into local talents for its making: from Montreal-based communication firm Sid Lee, production house Mom Industries, visual effects and sound studios Shed and Cult Nation, to Vancouver native Director Trevor Cornish.
The campaign was launched countrywide on Monday, October 16, 2017. There will be a new TV ad, supported by a billboard campaign in the Toronto area, promotion support at points of sale, as well as a full digital campaign.
