When I saw an engaging TV commercial about a committed local community leader during a visit to New York one weekend, I was compelled to go to the Web link advertised at the end of the spot. The 60 second story about Lisa Nigro, founder of the inspiration cafe, was sponsored by True North Snacks - a Frito Lay company.
The site is the outcome of a contest, in which consumers of True North Snacks submitted stories about local heroes and voted on the winner. The story was then captured and turned into a 60 second spot which aired during the Oscars.
So, what's a True North? A true north is "that singular passion in life that causes you to leap out of bed in the morning and think "Why am I here?".
The goal was to connect True Northerners with a regionally branded nut snack and reinforce the company's commitment to social responsibility. Upon further exploration I discovered several spots about inspiring "local" thought leaders across the northern half of the US. All of the spots, it seems, were directed by Actress Helen Hunt and all are energizing with a high end look and feel.
There's even a behind the scenes interview with Ms. Hunt where her commitment to such social causes is shown to align nicely the brand principles of True North.
Stories like these help to reinforce, in a memorable way, the story behind the package of flavoured nuts you come across in the convenience store. Because you've been touched emotionally by the True North brand, you're more likely to place your trust in the product. By purchasing it, you presumably become a more socially responsible human being.
As the True North people state: while every True North story is unique, each one has the power to inspire millions more. Whew, too bad we can't get them here in Canada....
