Upstate Farms

Information / Credits

East Aurora, N.Y.—Breaking TV, print, online and outdoor advertising mark the first-ever integrated brand campaign, and the first-ever TV, for New York State dairy brand Upstate Farms. The work is by advertising agency Cenergy, East Aurora, N.Y., for its client, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Buffalo. The campaign is place-centric, farm-centric (and, in the case of the TV, highly cow-centric). Its aim is to separate the area co-op’s milk from its generic competitors, by transforming it into a statement of localism. Strategically, the goal is to appeal to three growing, and only partially overlapping, demographic segments: those who want to eat local produce; to support the local economy; or to identify with rural integrity. The campaign’s title is “Return to Values.” Its tag is “Welcome back to the farm.” All video footage and print photography was shot on 13 Upstate Niagara Cooperative dairy farms, with their owners identified by name and town in four web interviews (not yet final) and on all print advertising. The look is unvarnished. There was no film “production company.” The shooter for both video and print was Rhea Anna, of Buffalo, whose artistic credo is “simple living, effortlessly portrayed.” The print advertising’s spokesmen and women offer plain dairy homilies. “Our cows work hard for us, so we work our hardest for them,” (Sarah and Robert Colby, Spencerport, N.Y.), or “A pasture is where the cows are supposed to be, it’s what nature made for them,” (Bob and Nancy Steinbar, East Otto, N.Y.), and likewise from Larry and Gary Hibsch of Strykersville, and Karl and Tina Kowalski of Lockport, N.Y. Media targets moms 25 to 49 in the Buffalo and Rochester DMAs. TV airs on broadcast news programming and on the CW network. Print runs in regional newspapers and locavore magazines. Billboards are at both urban and highway locations, and Flash banners appear on local news, plus geo-targeted mom sites. The campaign also includes a relaunched, farmer-focused website and FSIs. Upstate Niagara Cooperative (Upstate Farms), Buffalo, consists of a family of dairy farmers (representing over 360 local farms across Central and Western New York) whose commitment to quality provides consumers with a line of fresh, wholesome and delicious products, including milk, butter, yogurt, flavored milk and eggnog. www.upstatefarms.com Cenergy, East Aurora, N.Y., is a full-service brand-activation firm specializing in sports, entertaiment, and consumer packaged goods. In addition to traditional advertising, Cenergy delivers experiential marketing, sales promotion and sponsorship-activation services to clients including ESPN, Turner Cable Networks, First Niagara Bank, Upstate Farms, and Zippo. www.activatingbrands.com

Client/Brand: Upstate Niagara Cooperative/Upstate Farms, Buffalo 360+ member farms, Central and Western New York Milk, butter, yogurt, flavored milk, eggnog Brand’s first television advertising; first integrated brand campaign Agency: Cenergy, East Aurora, N.Y. Brief: Separate local co-op’s milk from wider, more generic brands’. Demographics/Strategy: Growing, although only partially overlapping, numbers of consumers want to: eat local produce; support local economy; identify with rural integrity. Develop one campaign that speaks to all three segments. Execution: One TV :30, on broadcast news programming, plus CW network Concept: “Values.” And a whole lot of cows. TV footage shot on 13 local farms. Campaign title/tag: “Return to Values”/“Welcome back to the farm.” Target/Market: Moms 25 – 49/Buffalo and Rochester DMAs CD: Ken Trabert AD: Elisa Lovelace Jones CW: Sarah Nuendorfer Dir.: Rhea Anna, Buffalo Breaks: March, 2012