Paper or… Paper
To comprehend why this campaign was significant (and successful), it’s important to know the context of the world we were experiencing in September of 2001. Grocery stores had moved on to plastic bags. Knives Out by Radiohead, the second single from their Amnesiac album, was #1 in Canada. Buying the CD would have set you back about $15.
Back then, most of my advertising activities were focused on digital media or broadcasting. But there was definitely an appetite to mix things up. Working on a pro bono project for Daily Bread Food Bank, the objective was to capture attention (and public donations) during the Canadian Thanksgiving food shopping season. Teaming up with Loblaws grocery stores in Toronto, a campaign where paper bags temporarily replace their plastic descendants was hatched.
It was left up to Natalie Armata, my Art Director partner at the direct response agency Lowe RMP, and me to come up with something relevant and interesting to place onto paper. We came up with the concept of how little it would take to fill the bag with food to help Toronto’s hungry, by placing a graduated scale on the side. At the time, it took less than $30, roughly the cost of the Radiohead CDs, to fill one with healthy food. The backside of the bag was actually a paper form with different methods of donating.
The throwback to bygone days definitely garnered buzz, becoming Daily Bread’s most successful Thanksgiving campaign up to that time.
This is the front of a paper shopping bag
This is the back
2 CDs
1/2 tank of gas
one movie ticket
short cab ride
1 latté
How little it costs to make a difference to someone hungry.
Here’s some food for thought. By doing a little, you can help a lot. When you fill this bag with food, you’ll help feed a hungry family. And it need only cost about as much as 2 CDs. For the types of food we need and other ways you can make a difference, see the back of the bag.
Though I remember this campaign and the creative development process quite well, I do wonder about a few things. Why was I inconsistent with the way I quantified each item (1 vs. one)? Did I think I was clever with the “food for thought” concept? How is it that I’ve lost roughly 8 wallets since this campaign, I’ve managed to keep a sample of this bag, much less in pristine condition?
