Nutella Celebrates Canadian Beauty with Successful Activation at Yonge-Dundas Square

Nutella, Canada’s beloved hazelnut spread, recently brought its Savour the Beauty of Canada campaign to life with an exciting activation at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto on July 5 and 6.

The balloon – created in CGI – started its virtual journey on Newfoundland’s Skerwink Trail, one of Canada’s 13 hidden gems featured on limited-edition Nutella jars, heading eastward across Canada and documenting its journey on social media. In a delightful twist, the Nutella Hot Air Balloon ‘crash-landed’ in the heart of the city, offering Torontonians a taste of Newfoundland with Nutella-topped Toutons. This unique activation invited consumers to engage with the brand by taking photos with the larger-than-life balloon, learning about Nutella, and celebrating the beauty and flavours of Canada. To keep the fun going, stickers and Nutella B-ready bars were distributed, and the brand worked to take over the digital billboard for much of the weekend – announcing the balloon’s landing!

The activation was a resounding success, with consumers enjoying delicious treats and sharing their experiences on social media using #SavourTheBeauty. The results speak for themselves:

• 5000 Newfoundland Toutons and 15,000 stickers distributed
• Approximately 10,000 1+ minute engagements
• An average dwell time of over five minutes, significantly exceeding benchmarks for experiential activations

Consumer sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, with many sharing their love for Nutella and personal stories about how the brand is a part of their lives.

Agency partners include Publicis Montreal on creative, Publicis Sport & Entertainment on experiential, Golin on PR, sponsored media, influencer relations and social, and Mindshare on media buying.