Marche ta poutine

Objective

Valentine Restaurants aimed to strengthen customer loyalty and drive repeat visits across Canada by creating a mobile app that gamified the relationship between physical activity and reward. The campaign targeted young adults by framing poutine—a beloved Canadian comfort food—as an earned indulgence rather than guilt-inducing snacking. The app used playful irony to position exercise as the path to free meals, turning a potential health concern into an engaging brand experience.

Solution

Marche ta poutine was a pedometer app that tracked user steps and calculated calories burned based on age and sex. Users earned a free poutine coupon each time they walked or ran the distance equivalent to the calories in the dish. The campaign was supported by a microsite, promotional videos, social media content, mobile and web advertising, PR outreach, and on-ground activations at events featuring branded treadmills where people could test the app in real time.

Results

The app reached #1 on the Canadian app store in less than a week. Over six months, it accumulated 37,000 downloads, 125 million collective steps walked, and generated 2,500 free poutine redemptions. The campaign won the Grand Prix Créa 2014 and the Shopper Innovation Award.