These campy ads for a faux grocery store called 'Way North Foods' attempt to raise awareness about the food insecurity crisis in Nunavut -- cleverly going for the funny bone instead of the heartstrings to deliver the wholly sobering message.
The videos are part of a larger social initiative called #endthepricehike that brings the fake grocery store to life on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with hilarious posts that perfectly sum up the worst grocery store cliches: "Time to clean out your bank account. Laundry detergent just $47.49!" Beyond calling attention to the issue, people are encouraged to share content, tweet at their MPs and cabinet ministers and donate to a local food bank.
As the campaign website relays, families in Canada's Arctic can pay up to 10 times more for food, with one in three people experiencing food insecurity every month -- these are not easy facts to digest. Of course there are many reasons for the high prices, transportation costs chief among them, but the fact remains that families in Nunavut are facing the highest rates of food insecurity in the country -- a problem we should all try and take a bite out of.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Food Insecurity
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative solutions to address high food prices and food insecurity in marginalized communities.
- Social Awareness Campaigns
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create engaging and humorous content to raise awareness and drive social change on important issues like food insecurity.
- Advocacy Through Social Media
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilize social media platforms to mobilize individuals, encourage activism, and facilitate donations for causes like combating food insecurity.
Where This Applies
- Grocery Retail
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement strategies to make nutritious food more affordable and accessible to underserved communities.
- Digital Marketing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop creative and impactful advertising campaigns on social media platforms to raise awareness and drive social change.
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Use technology and social media to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and mobilize support for causes like addressing food insecurity.
