THE BRIEF
Hafner’s Sausages is one of Ireland’s oldest sausage brands, and a particular favourite with discerning NI consumers. In the absence of a significant advertising budget for the brand, there was a requirement to increase awareness of Hafner’s and to help it to stand out from other brands.
The brief was to create a platform or event which would be unique and ownable by Hafner’s and which would highlight the versatility of the humble sausage as the star ingredient in meals and snacks across all times of day.
THE CAMPAIGN
In recognition of the huge popularity of TV food programmes such as Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off, our campaign concept was Hafner’s Mastercook, a light-hearted “non-chefy” cooking competition designed to celebrate the simplicity of cooking with sausages – something that everyone can do.
We launched the campaign with a call for entries in collaboration with top comedian Ciaran Bartlett and Belfast Cookery School. Sausage-loving amateur cooks were invited to submit their signature sausage recipes online for the chance to compete.
A PR pic and press release was issued to all NI media calling for entries, and content was created and shared across Hafner’s social media channels as well as being shared via Belfast Cookery School and Ciaran Bartlett’s social media.
Two finalists were selected to attend the Grand Final of Hafner’s Mastercook at Belfast Cookery School. They both had to cook their signature sausage dish for the panel of judges, made up of Ciaran Bartlett, Ian Hunter of Belfast Cookery School, and Carolyn Stewart, UTV presenter and well-known foodie.
The overall winner became Hafner’s Mastercook 2024 and won a prize of £1000.
THE RESULTS
Hafner’s Mastercook was a really fun and engaging consumer event which showcased Hafner’s Sausages in a relevant way.
The link with Belfast Cookery School made the event credible and ensured the brand’s quality reputation was highlighted, while the association with Ciaran Bartlett ensured the campaign was seen as fun and accessible to all levels of amateur cook.
The campaign itself made for a great PR story from launch through the announcement of the winner, and also generated really positive content and reaction on social channels.
