This February, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts ― Canada’s National Women’s Curling Championship ― returns for its milestone 40th year under the title sponsorship and passionate support of Kruger Products, maker of best-selling brands including Cashmere and Purex Bathroom Tissue, Scotties Facial Tissue and SpongeTowels Paper Towels. Kruger Products is a champion of Canadian women’s curling and the qualities it represents – dedicated teamwork, incredible determination, and the strong bond of sisterhood.
With the arrival of the tournament’s 40th year, Kruger Products is mar
king the occasion with a full-suite marketing plan to generate excitement, support talented Canadian athletes, and ultimately, to bring Canadians together (virtually!) during a time defined by distance. In addition to the brand’s annual presence on uniforms, in-arena signage, on-ice logos, scoreboards and rink boards, Kruger is newly activating on-pack prizing and an original TV commercial to drum up enthusiasm.
A Time-Honoured Tradition
“We’re beyond grateful to have partnered with Curling Canada to enable Canadian women to compete and grow in the great sport of curling over the past forty years,” says Kruger Products Chief Marketing Officer, Susan Irving. “Supporting women and championing sports are passion points for our business, employees and communities – our commitment to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is one of tradition, love and loyalty, that we look forward to honouring for many years to come,” she says.
Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer at Curling Canada echoes the sentiment. “Our partnership with Kruger Products is unlike anything in Canadian sports — not only for the sheer longevity of their support, but also for their dedication to making the Scotties Tournament of Hearts one of the most important, well-known and respected sporting events in Canada,” she says. “One only needs to hear the passion in the voices of the athletes who participate in the Scotties to understand what a truly special event it is, and that is largely thanks to the efforts and loyalty of Kruger Products,” she adds.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Curlers – TV Creative
Scotties debuted a heart-warming 30-second TV commercial in tribute to the 40th annual Scotties Tournament of Hearts championship, and in support of the next generation of female Canadian curling stars. The spot features a young, aspiring curler using household tissue products (a box of Scotties Facial Tissue, rolls of Cashmere Bathroom Tissue and SpongeTowels Paper Towels) to create her very own at-home curling match. The spot began airing on February 1st, and can be viewed here.
John Street, who conceptualized and captured the TV creative, took their inspiration from young Canadians and their boundless imagination. Cher Campbell, Chief Creative Officer at John Street explains, “We were really excited by the opportunity to tell this story. For us, it was about diving into the imagination of kids who are inspired by their idols on TV and doing it in a way that felt real to their experience and the brand.”
Special Packaging Promotion, With A Cash Twist
From the rink sheets to the grocery store aisles – Scotties is marking the tournament milestone with limited-edition packaging and consumer-contesting on specially-marked boxes of Scotties Facial Tissue. In this on-pack contest, participants can enter for the chance to win one of ten $40,000 cash prizes. The initiative is supported by a vibrant on-pack flash, an animated social campaign and captivating in-store communications. The promotion will run from January 4th to May 31st. Visit winwithscotties.ca for details.
A Team Effort – On and Off the Ice
Kruger Products’ integrated marketing efforts for the 40th annual Scotties Tournament of Hearts are made possible by the collaboration and support of Kruger’s trusted partners. John Street headed creative vision and execution of the new TV creative, media buys and commercial placement were managed by Wavemaker, and the on-pack prize promotion is overseen by Solutions with Impact. Strategic Objectives supported the 40th anniversary year with media relations and interview coordination.
Don’t Forget to Tune In!
Set to take place in Calgary, Alberta, between February 19th and February 28th, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts will operate in a hub city as top teams play safely in a fan-free, bubbled environment. Exceptional teams from across Canada will compete to earn the title of “Team Canada”. Canadians can tune in to all the action, on TSN.
About Kruger Products L.P.
Kruger Products is Canada’s leading manufacturer of quality tissue products for household, industrial and commercial use. Kruger Products serves the Canadian consumer market with well-known brands such as Cashmere®, Purex®, SpongeTowels® and Scotties®’. A Greater Toronto Area Top Employer for the past nine years, Kruger Products has approximately 2,800 employees and was once again named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2020. The Company operates eight FSC® COC-certified (FSC® C-104904) production facilities in North America. For more information, visit www.krugerproducts.ca.
