Maxwell House

Kraft wanted to tout its new 100% Arabica formulation, grow volume – a daunting goal as the price of coffee beans was going through the roof – and engage consumers in a meaningful dialogue.

Ogilvy brought to life a new North American platform, “Brew some good,” in the local market, kicking things off with a $100,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity.

On “On the House Day,” startled commuters got free coffee, subway tokens and performances from Chantal Kreviazuk and Pascale Picard. Free copies of Maclean’s featured the first-ever print ad on the popular “good news/bad news” page.

Rather than spend the $200,000 TV budget on an ad, Ogilvy used $19,000 for a bare-bones production and asked consumers where to spend the rest by nominating groups on brewsomegood.ca. While online, people could subscribe to an RSS feed to receive some good news each morning. Every piece of communication was harmonized with the redesigned can, created in collaboration with the agency.

Results were strong, with 1,848 nominations in the first three months. Share increased in April, May and June, despite a price increase right before launch. Web visits tracked 20% to 50% above the anticipated range, and PR resulted in over a million audience impressions and 203 stories – including 66 television news segments. The “Regent Park” spot (showcasing one of the chosen charities) was a finalist at Cannes.