2025 Winner
BronzeBest in Sponsorships
Sobeys
"Feed The Dream: Lunchbox Notes"
UM / TBWA
"Feed The Dream: Lunchbox Notes"
UM / TBWA
Sobeys faced a unique challenge heading into the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games as a sponsor.
Unlike established sponsors, who have deeper brand recognition, Sobeys risked blending into the “sea of sameness” that defines typical Olympic partnerships. The grocery brand needed a way to stand out while deepening connections with Canadian families — its core audience.
Most sponsors recognize athletes as the only heroes. But Sobeys uncovered a deeper, more resonant truth: families are the unsung heroes of athletic success. They “feed the dream” not just with food, but with emotional support, encouragement, and everyday acts of love. This insight became the foundation of the campaign.
Sobeys realized that while athletes strive to excel, the nourishment and support that families provide is what sustains their ambition. The campaign idea emerged from a simple but powerful symbol: the “Lunchbox Note”. That special surprise that schoolchildren experience when they open their lunchbox to discover a personal note from a loved one — a reflection of the close bond between parent and child.
They set out to harness this universally relatable gesture of encouragement to connect Olympians, Paralympians, aspiring young athletes, and everyday Canadian families in one shared act of support.
By shifting focus away from the star athlete and onto their family dynamic, Sobeys carved out a distinctive space that was authentic to its role as Canada’s family grocery store. This insight would not only help set Sobeys apart but also serve as a driving force behind campaign objectives, specifically: to strengthen brand equity, accelerate engagement, and drive a significant lift in store visits.
Their delightful, integrated connection campaign rallied around the power of “Lunchbox Notes”, bringing the idea to life across every touchpoint. The activation was carefully designed not just to tell a story, but to invite Canadians to participate.
First, the hero video spots served as a powerful anchor for the campaign, showcasing team Sobeys athletes alongside young athletes, who are supported by their families through written lunchbox letters of support. These were amplified with TV, OLV, Connected TV, Social with multiple pieces of creative featuring intimate family moments, extending reach and resonance.
To maximize emotional connection, their digital engagement approach played a pivotal role. Canadians were invited to submit lunchbox notes online through paid media, as well through in-store activations, and via Sobeys’ cross-country food truck tour. Employees also joined in, contributing thousands of notes themselves. These messages came to life on CBC’s Olympic broadcast, giving the “Lunchbox Note” program national visibility and showcasing the powerful role families play in supporting athletes.
In Paris, Sobeys took the idea global by creating a lunchbox note installation at Canada House. Through social media, we invited Canadians to send personal lunchbox notes of encouragement directly to athletes — and when they responded, it sparked waves of organic amplification nationwide.
The “Lunchbox Note” program connected every channel — broadcast, PR, digital, experiential, shopper, and employee engagement — into one unified narrative. This approach ensured that Sobeys’ Olympic presence was not just visible, but personal, participatory, and ownable in a way no other sponsor could replicate.
The brilliance of the agency’s campaign approach lay in the simplicity of its innovation. Rather than renting a hollow, flashy activation, the brand elevated a humble, relatable act — the intimate, emotional gesture of the lunchbox note — into a powerful, ownable, national engagement device. Their innovative media approach uniquely pushed the bounds of traditional grocery advertising: uniquely inclusive.
The idea transformed Sobeys’ sponsorship from passive visibility into active co-creation with families. Every note submitted became part of the campaign’s creative fabric, whether on TV, in-store, or inside Canada House. This blurred the line between brand, audience, and athletes, harnessing the innate power of community and belonging. Every Canadian could participate and share encouragement — a category first.
Uniquely authentic. The relatability and contagious nature of the campaign was rooted in the real behaviours of families, aligning perfectly with Sobeys’ brand promise. Sobeys drove authenticity by launching digital note submissions, featuring them live on CBC broadcasts, and turning genuine athlete reactions into highly-sticky, branded content via social media. The installation at Canada House provided a further physical manifestation of national support, bridging the gap between Canadian families at home and athletes abroad.
Uniquely ownable. The “Lunchbox Note” program became an iconic, brand-owned asset and fueled a multi-faceted, richly-connected campaign in a way only Sobeys could deliver. While other sponsors relied on generic themes of excellence or perseverance, Sobeys created a tangible, emotional symbol that was uniquely theirs — instantly tying the act of emotional nourishment to both family and brand.
This simplicity-as-innovation transformed Sobeys’ Olympic investment into a distinct, memorable, and culturally resonant platform.
By shining a light on the role families play in “feeding the dream,” Sobeys transformed its Olympic sponsorship into a platform for meaningful brand experience, mass engagement, and significant retail growth. It was more than just a sponsorship campaign — it generated a national groundswell of collective goodwill and support, and reinforced Sobeys’ unique role as “Canada’s family grocery store.”
Unlike established sponsors, who have deeper brand recognition, Sobeys risked blending into the “sea of sameness” that defines typical Olympic partnerships. The grocery brand needed a way to stand out while deepening connections with Canadian families — its core audience.
Most sponsors recognize athletes as the only heroes. But Sobeys uncovered a deeper, more resonant truth: families are the unsung heroes of athletic success. They “feed the dream” not just with food, but with emotional support, encouragement, and everyday acts of love. This insight became the foundation of the campaign.
Sobeys realized that while athletes strive to excel, the nourishment and support that families provide is what sustains their ambition. The campaign idea emerged from a simple but powerful symbol: the “Lunchbox Note”. That special surprise that schoolchildren experience when they open their lunchbox to discover a personal note from a loved one — a reflection of the close bond between parent and child.
They set out to harness this universally relatable gesture of encouragement to connect Olympians, Paralympians, aspiring young athletes, and everyday Canadian families in one shared act of support.
By shifting focus away from the star athlete and onto their family dynamic, Sobeys carved out a distinctive space that was authentic to its role as Canada’s family grocery store. This insight would not only help set Sobeys apart but also serve as a driving force behind campaign objectives, specifically: to strengthen brand equity, accelerate engagement, and drive a significant lift in store visits.
Their delightful, integrated connection campaign rallied around the power of “Lunchbox Notes”, bringing the idea to life across every touchpoint. The activation was carefully designed not just to tell a story, but to invite Canadians to participate.
First, the hero video spots served as a powerful anchor for the campaign, showcasing team Sobeys athletes alongside young athletes, who are supported by their families through written lunchbox letters of support. These were amplified with TV, OLV, Connected TV, Social with multiple pieces of creative featuring intimate family moments, extending reach and resonance.
To maximize emotional connection, their digital engagement approach played a pivotal role. Canadians were invited to submit lunchbox notes online through paid media, as well through in-store activations, and via Sobeys’ cross-country food truck tour. Employees also joined in, contributing thousands of notes themselves. These messages came to life on CBC’s Olympic broadcast, giving the “Lunchbox Note” program national visibility and showcasing the powerful role families play in supporting athletes.
In Paris, Sobeys took the idea global by creating a lunchbox note installation at Canada House. Through social media, we invited Canadians to send personal lunchbox notes of encouragement directly to athletes — and when they responded, it sparked waves of organic amplification nationwide.
The “Lunchbox Note” program connected every channel — broadcast, PR, digital, experiential, shopper, and employee engagement — into one unified narrative. This approach ensured that Sobeys’ Olympic presence was not just visible, but personal, participatory, and ownable in a way no other sponsor could replicate.
The brilliance of the agency’s campaign approach lay in the simplicity of its innovation. Rather than renting a hollow, flashy activation, the brand elevated a humble, relatable act — the intimate, emotional gesture of the lunchbox note — into a powerful, ownable, national engagement device. Their innovative media approach uniquely pushed the bounds of traditional grocery advertising: uniquely inclusive.
The idea transformed Sobeys’ sponsorship from passive visibility into active co-creation with families. Every note submitted became part of the campaign’s creative fabric, whether on TV, in-store, or inside Canada House. This blurred the line between brand, audience, and athletes, harnessing the innate power of community and belonging. Every Canadian could participate and share encouragement — a category first.
Uniquely authentic. The relatability and contagious nature of the campaign was rooted in the real behaviours of families, aligning perfectly with Sobeys’ brand promise. Sobeys drove authenticity by launching digital note submissions, featuring them live on CBC broadcasts, and turning genuine athlete reactions into highly-sticky, branded content via social media. The installation at Canada House provided a further physical manifestation of national support, bridging the gap between Canadian families at home and athletes abroad.
Uniquely ownable. The “Lunchbox Note” program became an iconic, brand-owned asset and fueled a multi-faceted, richly-connected campaign in a way only Sobeys could deliver. While other sponsors relied on generic themes of excellence or perseverance, Sobeys created a tangible, emotional symbol that was uniquely theirs — instantly tying the act of emotional nourishment to both family and brand.
This simplicity-as-innovation transformed Sobeys’ Olympic investment into a distinct, memorable, and culturally resonant platform.
By shining a light on the role families play in “feeding the dream,” Sobeys transformed its Olympic sponsorship into a platform for meaningful brand experience, mass engagement, and significant retail growth. It was more than just a sponsorship campaign — it generated a national groundswell of collective goodwill and support, and reinforced Sobeys’ unique role as “Canada’s family grocery store.”
Credits
CLIENT: SobeysChief Marketing Officer – Sandra Sanderson
VP, Corporate Marketing – Erika DeHaas
Director, Sponsorships – Zak Bannerman
Head of Creative Integration – Derek Kent
Creative Integration Manager – Tara Thomas
Manager, Sponsorships – Adam Onysyk
Director, Media Strategy & Performance- Ashleigh McKenna
Manager, Media Strategy & Planning - Melissa Giorgio
Manager, Digital Marketing Strategy & Performance- Michael Belanger
MEDIA AGENCY: UM
Executive Vice President - Kate Mateer
Senior Director, Connections Planning - Alexandra Thibault
Manager, Connections Planning - Roberto Lejderman
Supervisor, Connections Planning - Tesania Dagostini
Manager, Integrated Investments - Harmeet Singh
Senior Director, Integrated Investments - Joseph Petrella
Sr. Director, Performance Marketing – Ali Somani
Director, Performance Marketing – Ajoy Lobo
Associate Director, Social – Nishi Patel
Director, Programmatic – Candice Wu
Campaign Manager, Programmatic - Abhishek Barua
EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING AGENCY: XMC
Partner - Brittany Lengauer
Account Director - Bryan Fautley
Account Manager - Stefane Deeks
Account Coordinator- Casey Dobson
CREATIVE AGENCY: TBWA / BBDO
Chief Creative Officer – Max Geraldo
VP, Creative Director (AD) – Gui Bermejo
VP, Creative Director (CW) – Nick Doerr
VP, Creative Director (AD) – Mike Schonberger
ACD, Associate Creative Director – Matt Prokaziuk
Senior Producer – Terry Kavanagh
Senior Producer – Dena Thompson
SVP, BBDO Brand Reputation, Business Director – Rebecca Flaman
Account Director – Blair Weyersberg
Account Executive– Selina Cozzupoli
Production Shoot #1: Lunchbox Anthemic Videos:
Production House – Spy Films
Director – Omri Cohen
Executive Producer – Marcus Trulli
Line Producer – Kirsta Teague
Editing House – Rooster Post Production