Situation

Red Star Yeast’s social media and digital game is on point, but given the heightened interest in baking during the pandemic, they want to help even more bakers create their own Platinum Moments at home. So, we work with them on their first-ever nationwide commercial spot and digital advertising campaign with a pretty big name in the baking business: Food Network.

Objective

Raise awareness and drive trial of Red Star Yeast products with a campaign that celebrates the simple joys of baking, made even better with Red Star Yeast.

Approach

First, we produce a 0:30 commercial spot to air during a prime holiday baking season (Thanksgiving). The spot airs on Food Network broadcast television and its digital streaming platform, Food Network GO. To safely produce the commercial during a pandemic, we forego the fancy studio set and large camera crew and instead leverage user-generated footage captured by real home bakers, featuring their kitchens and their authentic baking moments. In addition to the broadcast commercial spot, Red Star Yeast sponsors Food Network’s online Ultimate Baking Guide for the 2020 holiday baking season. The promotion includes digital display banner advertisements on the Food Network website and a custom how-to recipe video featuring a fall-inspired harvest Focaccia bread made with Platinum® Yeast from Red Star on Food Network’s social channels.

Results

With so many positive reactions rolling in during the original campaign, Red Star Yeast decides to invest in an additional ad flight that extends the television and streaming ad media buy through mid-December.

31.4M impressions are generated from the campaign, which includes the commercial spot, digital ads and social media. 22 million reached as part of the commercial ad buy; of that, the ad reached a target audience of 5.7+ million females ages 25-49. 82% completion rate from a 6-frame Instagram story, performing well above industry benchmarks.