How Giant Food is redefining ‘local’ to connect with a new generation

When grocery stores talk about “local,” they are usually referring to the products on their shelves. But as one of the only truly local grocers in the greater Washington, D.C., area, we wanted to take this concept of local to a much deeper and more emotional level. Honoring our roots in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia (DMV) area, and embracing a sense of pride in where we come from as we unite our diverse spectrum of communities and neighborhoods, our new brand campaign “This Is Home” celebrates the heartbeat of our community. Leveraging the emotive power of spoken word poetry, the campaign highlights Giant’s role in celebrating culture, value and a sense of belonging. Whether you've lived in this area for 10 years or 10 minutes, the campaign aims to connect Giant and our customers to the home we all share. Opening its doors in 1936, Giant has been a fabric of the communities it serves for 88 years. With callouts to cities like Millville, McLean, Baltimore and D.C., along with visuals of Graffiti Alley, the Glen Echo Park Carousel, Old Town Alexandria, the National Mall and more—“This Is Home” celebrates all the diverse neighborhoods from Delaware to Virginia. While developing “This Is Home,” we were aiming to answer two key questions: How can our campaign disrupt the status quo and modernize the brand’s image, while connecting with our target consumer? Disrupting the status quo Within the competitive grocery category, it makes sense that most campaigns tend to emphasize price, variety, convenience and loyalty programs. But we knew that in order to start changing Giant’s brand perception, it was time to do something that would resonate at a deeper emotional level, compelling shoppers to fall in love (or fall back in love) with their hometown grocer. We looked to position Giant as the heartbeat of the community by authentically showcasing how our foods help feed the passions of the real people living in the region. With a strategy like that, we knew a traditional voice-over wouldn’t do our message justice. So, we chose to use the emotional power of spoken word poetry, an art form with a rich history in the DMV, as an authentic and artistic storytelling technique that would create a stronger connection between our shoppers and all our shared communities. We ultimately partnered with five local artists, some of whom not only starred in the final spot but also created 30-second custom-written testimonials about the role Giant plays in their lives and community, which we aired as campaign extensions on social media. And of course, while we wanted to create a campaign that could build the brand on a more emotional level, we knew that we couldn’t forget the importance of emphasizing the brand’s functional growth drivers, including value and e-commerce, that keep us competitive in the industry. So, in addition to the brand-level awareness and perception-driven messaging around community connection and DMV pride, we seamlessly wove our more functional benefits into a series of English and Spanish 30- and 15-second spots to support the campaign. Modernizing our brand image While Giant Food is the market share leader, our research showed that among the category, we had been gaining a reputation as a more “traditional” grocer, and it became clear that we needed to find a way to connect with younger audiences without alienating our older shoppers. From an upbeat, modern soundtrack to the use of bold colors, youthful illustrations and mixed-media visual effects, the artistic style of the campaign speaks directly to our younger demographics. Meanwhile, thoughtful casting and a diverse range of vignettes ensure that audiences of all ages and backgrounds have equal ways to resonate with our creative approach. We view our 164 locations as 164 unique neighborhoods we serve, each with a unique set of people, places, backgrounds and identities, intricately woven into a distinct haven of pride and joy. Celebrating the diverse communities throughout the DMV, “This Is Home” is an anthem that anyone can relate to. About Giant Food Since opening its first location in Washington, D.C. in 1936, Giant Food has been integral to the communities it serves. Giant is headquartered in Landover, Maryland, and operates 165 supermarkets, 153 of which are full-service pharmacies in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, with approximately 20,000 associates. With 162 Giant pickup locations and Giant Delivers available in all its markets, customers have even more convenient options right at their fingertips to get the best products and prices, whenever and however they choose. For more information on Giant, visit www.giantfood.com.

How Giant Food is redefining ‘local’ to connect with a new generation

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