Oikos Pro brings NHL playoffs into the gym

The Danone Canada brand launched a made-for-social activation that recreated the atmosphere of the Stanley Cup finals.

Oikos, the NHL’s official yogurt, is leveraging the social media habits of its core audience to bring the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the gym.

In an activation on Monday, Oikos Pro created a made-for-social moment that transformed a Montreal fitness centre into the playoff atmosphere found in the rink, with arena lighting, a DJ, cheering fans and a live broadcast of the Edmonton Oilers-Florida Panthers Game 3, “bringing together game time and gym time.”

Wavemaker, which has led several campaigns across the Danone Canada portfolio over the past few years, led media planning and buying for the activation, while long-time partner BonClub took care of the creative.

Jean-F. Morin, executive creative director with BonClub, tells MiC that the activation, which is being told primarily through social, tapped into the insight that when the playoffs are on, sticking to a training routine gets harder.

“We leaned into social-first video content to reflect the evolving media habits of our core audience: performance-driven individuals who spend more time engaging with fitness and lifestyle content on social platforms,” Morin explains. “Compared to previous campaigns, this one emphasized cultural relevance and community resonance over traditional mass reach.”

Morin adds this activation “took a more focused approach in terms of format and platform,” and that the media budget was allocated to high-impact, social-first video placements, running mainly on Meta, in both English and French.

“This approach marks a more deliberate push into cultural storytelling, meeting performance-focused consumers where they are, in the moments that matter,” Morin says. “We were inspired by insights showing a growing segment of consumers who prioritize fitness and routine, even during major cultural moments like the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This campaign bridges those worlds by celebrating their discipline and commitment.”