Of all the things MiC expected to see parked on the front steps of Union Station yesterday, a life-sized statue of a green cow would probably have been at the bottom of the list.

But there it was: cheerful, bright green and sporting a Marché logo on its rear end. Obviously, this required a closer look.

The cow, as it turns out, had good reason to be there. A sign on the fake grass underneath it advised passersby that if they logged on to Metro newspapers website ClubMetro.com and shared their sighting, they would be entered to win one of 20 $50 gift cards or a free Marché dinner for up to 10 people. Additional chances to win could be gained by snapping a photo with the cow and uploading it to the brand’s Facebook page.

A phone call to Metro account rep Jason Saddler revealed that the ‘green cow’ campaign is a promotional stunt for the opening of the new Marché restaurant in Brookfield Place on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. The location was formerly a Marché, then sold to the chain’s competitior, Richtree. It was empty for ages and has now reopened again as a Marché – the largest of its kind in the world, Saddler says.

The ‘green cow’ stunt is being promoted in the Toronto edition of Metro and with ads in the newspaper. It ends tomorrow, when the six green cows hidden around the downtown core will be removed and taken back to the restaurant. The giveaways through Club Metro, though, will continue on into September.

The sign under the cow. Note its patriotic garb.