Just before the idea for this campaign came together, Oryana had sent out a pre-Thanksgiving coupon mailer. It had several cut-out coupons that were valid for different products within different date ranges, and it read “celebrate thanksgiving” on the front.
When I was asked to create a series of print and digital ads (including a billboard), “Celebrate” served as a springboard. My hope was to create an ad series with a sense of continuity, which invoked Oryana’s claims on quality, but then culminated in a message which seemed to transcend the operational need to sell groceries. When I made the pitch, the Marketing & Communications Manager approved it (she asked for the inclusion of the “with the freshest local ingredients” copy, which I did not create, but became integral to the campaign’s message).
The photos used in this campaign were all taken by Allen Kent Photo at a shoot commissioned by Oryana in 2017, and featured a collection of long-time Oryana shoppers and staff members. The warm, familial tone of the photography was the perfect compliment to the campaign’s messaging.
My hope was to have the series be comprised of “Celebrate Good Food,” “Celebrate Family,” “Celebrate Community,” and finally “Celebrate Together.” I was later asked to include “Celebrate Thanksgiving,” as well; however, it was used largely for in-store communication, and saw very little outside application.
