‘Who’s your Burger Family?’ A&W’s sentimental campaign says it’s the people you choose

After years of employing the same general marketing strategy, A&W Canada is mixing things up, leaning into the “Burger Family” found on its menu by reimagining its Papa, Mama, Teen and other kin-themed characters in a series of genuine, interpersonal campaign films. Though it began as a subsidiary of the original U.S.-based A&W fast-food brand, the chain’s Canadian operations were spun off to Unilever in the 1970s, and have been privately owned for the past 28 years. By number of locations, it is the country’s second-largest burger joint, behind McDonald’s but with more Canadian stores than Wendy’s, Burger King and Five Guys combined, ScrapeHero data shows. The backbone of A&W Canada’s menu is its Burger Family, which includes items like the “Teen Burger” with cheese and bacon and the “Grandpa Burger” with three beef patties and little else. (Currently, the “Papa Burger” is the only member of the original Family available at American A&W locations.) But despite using the tagline “Home of the Burger Family” for years, the titular hamburgers and their personifications have fallen by the wayside in the brand’s marketing—until now, with A&W Canada tapping Canadian agency Rethink to revive them as part of a new multichannel ad push titled “Who’s Your Burger Family?” In the spots, a series of heartwarming relationships is explored—a trucker and his hungry dog, a teenage girl learning to drive in the A&W drive-thru with her best friend, and so on—to showcase the unconventional “Burger Families” we’re all a part of. “Expanding the definition of family opens a lot of doors for creativity and storytelling. To us, ‘Burger Family’ means anyone you love to connect with over burgers, onion rings or a frosty mug of root beer,” said Bob Simpson, creative director and partner at Rethink, referencing the brand’s signature soft drink. “Maybe it’s an old friend, a neighbor, teacher or teammate. Maybe it’s the co-worker who knows your order by heart. Or maybe it’s a pet.” Check out a couple of the campaign’s 30-second anchor spots below: The campaign, to be followed later this year by new brand identity work, is a marked shift away from A&W’s recent consumer-facing messaging. “In the past, our advertising has been very functional,” said Tom Newitt, VP of marketing at A&W Canada, which for the past decade has largely relied on ingredients-focused ads and its perennial spokesperson, Allen, who’s often recognized as the “A&W Guy” north of the border. “Our new strategy requires us to set a high bar for emotional storytelling, and we’re using simple, human truths about relationships to guide us.” Newitt said the evolved Burger Family positioning is a result of A&W’s 20-plus-year partnership with Rethink. “As companies, we’ve really grown up together, and we’ve built a ton of trust over that time. That tight relationship allows us to constantly challenge ourselves to do better work together,” he said. First debuting in Canada late last year, the new work has been deployed via a staggered rollout, with a selection of 30-, 15- and 6-second materials currently airing in the country on TV, on social media and as part of movie theater pre-shows. Supplementing the campaign will be “year-round tactical, product-focused advertising, and a calendar of PR and influencer-backed programs,” according to the North Vancouver-based company.

‘Who’s your Burger Family?’ A&W’s sentimental campaign says it’s the people you choose

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