appliances

Whirlpool Shows Canadians The Power Of Care (Through Lunch)

“Care” can take many forms, even (or especially) when it comes to school lunches.

Whirlpool Canada is showing how its “Every day, care” positioning can carry over to the seemingly mundane activity of preparing a lunch for school. Via a documentary-style video, the company shines a light on how this social time can introduce children to different cultures, celebrate diversity and foster respect.

“Appliance advertising notoriously focuses on rational product benefits,” Mike Sutton, president of Zulu Alpha Kilo, tells Marketing Daily. “With this content program we wanted to develop a stronger emotional connection with Canadians and the Whirlpool brand … We needed to develop a more grassroots campaign that allowed Whirlpool to connect to what it means to Canadians to care.

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The video (appearing on Whirlpool Canada’s Facebook and YouTube channels) tells the story of Sama Al-Salihi, a Syrian immigrant, who noticed that her school lunches (which included foods like uzee, fatayer, and grape leaves) differed from those of her classmates. In the video, Sama and her mother make these traditional dishes with the intention of sharing them with Sama’s classmates. She nervously shares the food with her classmates, hoping it can help them connect with her story as a refugee and provide a better understanding of her culture. Her classmates reciprocate with a specially designed lunchbox (created with help from Toronto illustrator/cartoonist Wes Tyrell) that depicts Sama as the superhero of her immigration story. “The goal was to get closer to them by giving them food,” Sama says in the video. “And it worked. It worked a lot.”

For new Canadian families, integrating into their new community can be stressful,” Sutton says. “Through food and meal preparation, Whirlpool can help bring communities together. By sharing her food, Sama was able to create conversation and friendships.”

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