Grocery discount banner Food Basics is launching a new click-and-collect service in its first bid to enter the lucrative e-commerce space.
The grocer is driving this movement with a new campaign developed in collaboration with creative partner Open. The campaign features AI-generated visuals of the food.
“The influence of AI played a key role in defining the visual identity of this campaign,” says Matthew Robitaille, director of marketing for Metro Ontario, which owns the Food Basics banner.
The service will be rolled out from this month and will offer customers the same range of products found on brick-and-mortar shelves, as well as weekly promotions and in-store offers.
“This is a new service, so we needed to make the basics of food feel clear while also standing out as exciting news for our existing customer base,” said Katie Chan, marketing director at the grocer. says. “What better way to launch digital services than with AI?”
The campaign launched across regionally targeted digital and social using in-store POS and targeted email marketing across the chain's 144 stores in Ontario.
Thanks to AI imagery, the discount brand doesn't need to book a studio or collect real food samples, while at the same time “really speaks to the speed and ease of online” was able to deliver visually rich campaigns that were more cost-effective and flexible. You can shop for groceries at Food Basics,” says Anne Ngo, Director of Client Services at She Open.
“We were interested in being the first to tackle AI. This is a great addition to our toolbox,” says Martin Beauvais, partner at the agency. “We do not see AI as a threat to our services, but rather as a great complement to creativity.”
