A&W Canada Reintroduces the Burger Family to Reflect the Truth in Relationships

Mama. Papa. Teen. Uncle. Grandpa. Baby. A&W’s Burger Family line up has been a fixture in A&W restaurants and packaging for decades. Today, A&W is reintroducing and recontextualising its Burger Family, supported by new work that tells simple, truthful stories around a redefined notion of family.

In Bestie, we meet a newly-licensed teen driver and her best friend as they try to navigate an A&W drive-thru. The spot is driven by their natural dynamic, so it was essential to find actors with the right chemistry - young women who, despite their very different personalities, and maybe because of them - have an unbreakable bond. The two young actors improvised most of their dialogue, resulting in fun, relatable moments that made their way into the final edit. The :30 spot is currently running across TV, social, and in theatres. 

The new 'Who’s Your Burger Family?' work is a significant creative departure for A&W. For the past decade, the QSR brand has aired ingredient-focused advertising, supported by a man-on-the-street campaign featuring A&W’s long time spokesperson, Allen. Now, A&W and long time partner Rethink are finding new meaningful ways to connect with Canadians. 

“In the past, our advertising has been very functional,” said Tom Newitt, vice president marketing, A&W Canada. “We’ve worked really hard to build a differentiated strength on natural, quality ingredients. Our new strategy requires us to set a high bar for emotional storytelling, and we’re using simple, human truths about relationships to guide us.” 

“To us, ‘Burger Family’ means anyone you love to connect with over burgers, onion rings or a frosty mug of root beer,” said Bob Simpson, creative director and partner, Rethink. “Your Burger Family is there for you through thick and thin. Maybe it’s an old friend, a neighbour, teacher, or teammate. Maybe it’s the co-worker who knows your order by heart. Or maybe it’s a pet. Expanding the definition of family opens a lot of doors for creativity and storytelling.”

Rethink and A&W Canada: chosen family for 20+ years

“The evolved Burger Family positioning is a result of our 20+ year partnership with Rethink,” said Tom. “As companies, we’ve really grown up together, and we’ve built a ton of trust over that time. That tight relationship allows us to constantly challenge ourselves to do better work together.” 

The TV spots, in addition to new brand identity work being unveiled later this year, focus on evoking comfort rooted in memories and distinctive brand icons that people love about A&W. The brand spots are complemented by year-round tactical, product-focused advertising, and a calendar of PR and influencer-backed programs.