Description
Mina®, a trusted halal brand from Maple Leaf Foods, has launched A Mina Welcome, a first-of-its-kind Canadian program designed to support Muslim newcomers during their first months of settling in Canada. The initiative, which invited Canadians to nominate Muslim newcomers for a warm welcome, culminates in the release of a hero video capturing the surprise moment a winning family received a fridge stocked with months worth of Mina halal essentials.
The program responds to a specific and under-addressed challenge Muslim newcomers face upon arrival: finding halal food they can trust, conveniently and consistently, as they begin building daily routines in a new country. While many newcomers default to distant ethnic grocers or butchers, Mina’s research revealed a widespread assumption that big-box grocery stores either don’t carry halal products or can’t be trusted to do so.
For Mina, the initiative reflects a deliberate decision to speak to Muslim newcomers not as a monolithic audience, but as a distinct and growing community with unique life experiences.
Mina’s approach to the “A Mina Welcome” campaign was grounded in first- and third-party research, including qualitative focus groups with Muslim newcomers. These conversations revealed how critical the first grocery shop is in shaping feelings of belonging, comfort, and confidence. Many participants reported traveling up to 90 minutes to access trusted halal food, unaware that major Canadian retailers already carry HMA-certified halal options in their local neighbourhoods.
The timing of the hero film’s release ahead of Ramadan was intentional. Ramadan is a period when food, faith, and community are deeply interconnected, and when meaningful brand actions resonate more strongly with Muslim Canadians, whether newly arrived or second generation.
Beyond its immediate community impact, “A Mina Welcome” offers a broader lesson for Canadian marketers: engaging cultural growth audiences requires more than representation. It demands insight, specificity, and actions that solve real problems rather than symbolic gestures.
This professional campaign titled 'A Mina Welcome' was published in Canada in March, 2026. It was created for the brand: Mina, by ad agencies: FUSE Create and T1. This Digital and Film media campaign is related to the Food industry and contains 1 media asset. It was submitted about 2 hours ago by Marketing & PR Manager: Vanessa of FUSE Create.
Credits
T1 Nithya Ramachandran President & CSO
T1 Allysa Pappas Group Account Director
T1 Tony Le Account Supervisor
T1 Monica Tadeo-Garrido Account Manager
T1 Dorota Kulig Creative Director / Film Director
T1 Tara Wright Creative Director / Film Director
T1 Nat Tubanos VP of strategy
T1 Danelle Robinson Account Manager
T1 Bernadette Funk Senior Designer
T1 Nathalie Cusson Executive Creative Director
MLF Ofah Khan Brand Marketing Associate, Mina
MLF Lauren Kohn Brand Marketing Manager
FUSE Create Rita Steinberg Vice President, Media
FUSE Create Bethaney Herbert Media Account Director
FUSE Create Jigyasa Singh Media Planner
FUSE Create Chris Lebert Media Coordinator
FUSE Create Marteen Sevier Account Supervisor
FUSE Create Jacquie Kostuk Group Strategy Director
FUSE Create Drew Lindsey Creative Strategist
Brave Productions Rob Tunnicliff Executive Producer
Brave Productions Ruth Eddolls Producer / AD
Brave Productions Darrell Wonge Director Of Photography
Brave Productions Roy Zhegyizhou Asst. Camera
Ghost Edit Owen Sparks Editor / Colourist
Ghost Edit Lauren Schilter Producer
Inlaws Audio Spencer Hall Audio Mixer
