How Unilever Uses Ice Hockey for Hyperlocal Marketing in Canada
Discover how Unilever and Menuez leverage ice hockey for hyperlocal marketing in Canada. From national visibility to local brand activation and partner growth.
From National Visibility to Local Impact
Big campaigns build brand awareness. But how do you make that relevant for consumers at street level?
Unilever Canada partnered with Menuez to tap into the country’s most popular sport: ice hockey. Through a hyperlocal campaign, consumers at participating restaurants could win tickets to professional hockey games.
Not mass marketing, but brand activation right where it matters most: where people eat, drink, and live.
Hellmann’s Hockey Mayolis: From Sponsorship to Local Visibility
For the campaign, special Hellmann’s Hockey Mayolis were created, aiolis inspired by Canadian hockey teams.
Restaurants that added the new Hellmann’s mayonnaise to their menu gained access to ready-to-use digital ads through the Menuez Brand Management Platform.
- With just a few clicks, operators added their own logo and address.
- Ads were hyper-targeted to consumers within a 10 km radius.
- The result: a national campaign became instantly relevant at a local level.
This brought clear added value to restaurants, while Unilever expanded distribution and strengthened relationships with foodservice partners.
From Europe to North America: Proven Model, New Market
The collaboration between Unilever and Menuez started in the Netherlands and Belgium, with campaigns for brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Lipton.
Natasha Patterson (Unilever Food Solutions):
“The response from local hospitality exceeded expectations. The campaign made them feel like they were truly part of the brand.”
That proven model has now been scaled to Canada, with ice hockey as the catalyst.
Why This Hyperlocal Campaign Works
This case shows why hyperlocal advertising and digital activation are so effective for foodservice brands:
- Emotional value: not just a generic discount, but the chance to experience live sports.
- Local pride: tapping into Canadian teams and game-day experiences.
- Easy for operators: no advertising knowledge required; all templates and targeting ran via the platform.
- Scalable and measurable: one national campaign generated dozens of local stories.
Local Execution with International Scale
Unilever’s hockey campaign proves that brand activation goes beyond visibility. By actively involving local businesses, the impact of (inter)national campaigns is amplified, creating lasting value for both brand and market.
This form of hyperlocal marketing is:
- Efficient and scalable
- Measurable and flexible
- Accessible for local operators
Want to Make Your Brand Locally Relevant?
Curious how your brand can combine national visibility with local impact?
Get in touch with Menuez and discover how we make international campaigns scalable, measurable, and hyperlocal.