Big Y Launches Quirky Loyalty Rewards Campaign
New England grocery store chain Big Y Foods has rolled out “Free Finds You,” an integrated marketing campaign from The VIA Agency that celebrates loyalty rewards through bizarrely funny moments inspired by the thrill of unexpectedly getting something for nothing.
Instead of focusing on discounts or points, the campaign focuses on the emotional payoff of discovering free products through myBigY Rewards. The ads imagine everyday moments punctuated by free groceries appearing in unusual places: a steaming rotisserie chicken inside a car’s glovebox instead of registration papers, a baguette usurping wedding rings at the altar, and a head of lettuce rolling back from a bowling lane rather than a bowling ball.
Having launched on June 29 across broadcast, online video, digital, social, influencer and experimental channels throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, the effort is supported by a digital activation that gives myBigY Rewards members unexpected free items during the campaign.
“Most reward programs are asking you to sign up and telling you what the benefits will be someday,” said Leeann Leahy, CEO of Portland, Maine-based VIA. “We took the opportunity to stand out by showing you the feeling you get when the rewards are realized … and it’s contagious. You just can’t help but want to be part of myBigY Rewards.”
According to Sarah Steven, Big Y’s VP of marketing, the campaign aims to differentiate the brand in an increasingly crowded space. “In a sea of grocery advertising that often feels interchangeable, Free Finds You stands apart by turning savings into something unexpectedly fun, personal and memorable,” Steven explained. “By using humor to spotlight the real excitement customers feel when they discover free items through myBigY Rewards, we created work that feels less like an ad and more like a moment they’ll recognize from their own lives.”
The campaign also shines the spotlight on a key differentiator of myBigY Rewards: Members get surprise free products along with personalized offers and can choose to apply rewards toward grocery purchases or gas savings.
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y Foods is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. It operates locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, including supermarkets, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and Big Y Express gas and convenience locations.
This article was originally published on P2PI sibling brand Progressive Grocer.
