Do Penguins Have Knees? Ontario Beef Says You Can Ask Your Butcher Pretty Much Anything

Ontario Beef, the public-facing identity of Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), is launching a campaign to empower consumers to ask their butcher for Ontario beef.

Research conducted by the BFO revealed that nearly two-thirds of consumers don’t ask their butcher questions about beef, with the most common reason being that they simply never thought to. “Our campaign aims to empower consumers to be more engaged and informed about their beef choices, specifically encouraging them to ask for Ontario beef,” said Jennifer Kyle, manager of public engagement and digital strategy with BFO.

The new comedic campaign, created by Toronto-based agency Bob’s Your Uncle, aims to educate and motivate consumers to interact with their butchers and, of course, to purchase high-quality beef from Ontario. The campaign includes three 15-second spots: “Penguin”, “Hiccups”, and “Which One?”.

“People have an innate desire to not waste others’ time, which goes beyond mere politeness. It reflects deep-rooted values of respect and self-sufficiency,” said Bob Froese, founder & chief creative officer of Bob’s Your Uncle. “This insight was the foundation for the ‘ask your butcher anything’ concept, no matter how ridiculous”.

The campaign, running throughout the summer BBQ season and again during the holiday season, is anchored by the three 15-second OLVs. The media buy includes six-second cutdowns across OLV platforms including YouTube, Meta, and Pinterest. The campaign is also being extended on social media with interviews featuring real butchers answering customer questions in their shops. Additional social content, also featuring butchers, is planned for the fall.