Drinkware company Grosche is staging a multiphase takeover of Toronto’s Sankofa Square with a campaign urging consumers to trade in their American products for Canadian alternatives.
“The Last Straw” positions Donald Trump’s assertions that Canada should become the 51st American state as the breaking point for consumers still on the fence about buying Canadian.
Grosche’s three-week digital OOH and social-media push, a collaboration with creative agency Public Inc., was launched on Tuesday in downtown Toronto.
“This campaign is our response to the growing desire among Canadians to support locally owned businesses and make purchases that align with their values,” Grosche co-founder and CEO Helmi Ansari said in a statement. “We’re using humour and positivity – the Canadian way – to lead this movement.”
Grosche plans to roll out new creative and additional stunts to expand on “The Last Straw” throughout the spring. These include “The Breakup,” an OOH campaign that plays on the online “dump him” trend to downplay American brands, and “The Pop-Up,” a street giveaway offering passersby Grosche stickers to cover up U.S. logos.
Grosche’s products are designed, engineered and warehoused in Canada. Its manufacturing is handled in China and Taiwan.
The campaign appeals to a consumer populace that is undergoing significant change amid Canada-U.S. trade tensions.
Recent Ipsos polling showed that 74% of Canadians tried to avoid American goods and that 78% of Canadians agreed that Trump’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state strengthened their national pride.
A recent survey from Leo & Dragon showed that 57% of respondents had made switches to Canadian brands and that 49% reported they had reduced American-brand purchases.
Creative agency Public Inc. released a music-video ode to Canada’s southern neighbours last month that serves as a reminder of the countries’ shared history of common values and co-operation.
