Old El Paso is aiming to start a dinner revolution with its new campaign targeting moms aged 25 to 50 who are looking for ideas on what to buy and make their families for dinner.

With the tagline “You Mexi-Can,” the campaign, with media from ZenithOptimedia and creative from Cossette, features military-style lead character Jose with a “Welcome to the Dinner Revolucion” message.

Lori Hatcher-Hillier, marketing director, meals, General Mills Canada, tells MiC the campaign is currently in pre-launch mode with OOH spots in Toronto, as well as digital ads targeting food sites like The Food Network during the mid- to late-afternoon hours when people are thinking about what to make for dinner, and dedicated Facebook and YouTube pages. A larger campaign with TV ads on top conventional and specialty programs and an in-store component in top retailers will roll out in September.

“We have had a long history on this strategy, trying to capitalize on the problem of worrying [about] what to make for dinner,” says Dale Storey, VP of marketing, General Mills Canada. “They get into a routine that they don’t even realize. Old El Paso is trying to help people remember a meal they loved, if you ask people if they like Mexican food they say they really do but they haven’t had it for months.”

Storey says the “You Mexi-Can” campaign is the first new one around the brand idea of breaking the food rut in about five years, and anticipates it being a part of the brand’s DNA for years going forward. Prior to this campaign’s launch last week the brand had spent the last year promoting its new products.

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