Happy to Help

Festival Foods’ associates just can’t help going above and beyond to deliver for guests, as a new campaign from Marcus Thomas artfully conveys. In the agency’s first work since winning the Wisconsin-based retailer’s business last November, the campaign – tagged “Happy to Help” – illustrates that Festival Foods associates are as helpful in their everyday lives as they are in store.

In Jogger, for instance, a Festival Foods associate out for a run takes a 3-mile detour to guide a driver to the post office. This dedication continues in store, as the associate walks a guest right to the item they need. Balloon Rescue features a Festival Foods associate running up a fire escape to retrieve a young girl’s rising balloon. We then see the same associate making another child’s day with a surprise free sample – a common gesture at Festival Foods.

“We did a lot of social listening and pored through guest feedback to understand how people viewed Festival Foods. It was clear to us that their helpful associates are truly a different kind,” said Stephanie Burris, executive creative director at Marcus Thomas. “Not only do they provide exceptional service, but they genuinely enjoy going out of their way to make their guests’ day.”

Knowing an enjoyable experience is a driver of grocery store selection, it was quickly clear that the best way to help Festival Foods communicate their unique and compelling point of difference was to show guest service in a fun and memorable manner.” The spots imagine what these extraordinarily kind and helpful individuals are like outside of the store as in Santa’s Helper, where an associate improvises an elf costume to fill in when she sees Santa needs an assist.