IGA Supermarket Goes Back to School to Help Modern Families with Home Economics

IGA is bringing back home economics, with classes designed to help modern families save time, money and energy.  

Dreamed up by creative agency Sid Lee, the initiative aims to help parents get on top of their meal planning, better manage their grocery shopping and reduce food waste, all thanks to classes led by Ricardo, the bestest of teachers. 

Removed from the high school curriculum in the early 2000s, home economics classes were meant to help prepare teenagers for independent living. Nearly 20 years later, there appears to be a knowledge deficit regarding basic food management. 

“With lunches, snacks, after-school activities, food sensitivities, picky eaters, food waste, family  budgets and a lack of time and inspiration, we know how eager families are to find value-added solutions,” says Carl Pichette, vice president of marketing at Sobeys. “We want to offer them a platform with all our best advice that also explains how IGA’s tools and programs can help. By surveying our customers, we realised that although money is a major consideration, so is being  ble to take a breather, skip the dishes from time to time, or simplify their prep for the week ahead.” 

Sœur Angèle, as well as former Dragon François Lambert, Ricardo and Emily Desmarais, an IGA merchant and young mother, agreed to audition for the launch message. In the final 15-second spots, Ricardo and Émily explain how to put theory into practice. 

“A lot of today’s parents had home economics courses when they were teens. It seemed like a  good idea to bring them back now, when they really need those skills,” says Julie Desrochers, a creative director at Sid Lee. “It’s a chance to get a bit nostalgic, but also to switch gears and go from selling to helping by dedicating our media space to educational content. Obviously the campaign meets business objectives, but IGA’s strategy is to offer people guidance and support, rather than just entertain them. That’s where IGA and Sid Lee share the same ambition: to create value and have a lasting impact through campaigns that are genuinely useful.” 

IGA’s Home Economics classes will appear this fall on TV, in Ricardo magazine, on digital and social media and on all of the brand’s proprietary channels. For more info, visit here.