The One & Only Beef

With the rise of alternative and simulated meats, beef and other meats were facing a lot of disparaging public dialogue, a lot of which was based on misinformation. Canada Beef needed to defend beef. It was time to step up to the plate to build renewed consumer confidence and affinity for beef while at the same time, steer clear of any direct comparison to the simulated competition. The campaign stood firm on a rallying cry of authenticity – the one true thing that only real Beef can own. That it truly is Beef. Beef’s real taste, real sizzle and real juiciness crave factors were celebrated, while a series of videos poked fun at the absurdity that something other than beef could be beef. The fundamental idea was to simply remind people why they love real beef, using affirmative messaging that beef belongs on their plate. Light-hearted, sarcastic claims like “beef is the new beef,” “tastes like 100% like real beef,” and “keeping it real since forever,” were used to playfully challenge the debate of fake vs. real.

The campaign was supported by print media, television, digital ads, owned media and social media in addition to contesting, and point of purchase marketing. It achieved over 56 million impressions and increased website traffic by over 600%.