When people think of SPAM® Classic, they think of that iconic blue and yellow can they take out of the pantry whenever they want to make meals extra special. The SPAM®-silog, SPAM® musubi, and SPAM®-desal are not only childhood favorites but also cultural staples in Filipino households.
To introduce more meal possibilities of SPAM® Luncheon Meat, the SPAM® Food Truck was launched, showcasing the versatility and convenience of the SPAM® Brand and inspiring cooks to come up with more creative and satisfying recipes they can make at home.
Evident created an integrated marketing strategy that sought to create excitement about the SPAM® Food Truck, which included both PR and social media executions inviting Filipinos to hop on a SPAM® Brand adventure.
Creating a comforting SPAM® Food Truck menu
The first step was to create a new SPAM® Food Truck Menu that will remind Filipinos of their go-to comfort food dishes.
We brought in an up-and-coming Chef from Lampara RJ Ramos specializing in Neo-Filipino cuisine. Chef RJ Ramos elevated seven Filipino dishes using the SPAM® Classic as the main star of the show: SPAM® Rice Ball, SPAM® Cheeseburger, SPAM® Salpicao, SPAM® Takoyaki Bao, SPAM® Creamy Spicy Musubi, SPAM® Pandesal, and the secret recipe, SPAM® Kimchi Bao.
#SPAMRiceBallChallenge: the online pre-event buzz that had people eager to try the new SPAM® Food Truck menu
Evident came up with the #SPAMRiceBallChallenge – a no-fuss challenge that could be done in 15 minutes with 4 ingredients: rice, furikake, mirin, and SPAM® Luncheon Meat. This was the first initiative under the pre-launch tactical plan.
Food vlogger and content creator Cy Ynares, popularly known as the Bald Baker, started the challenge with a crossposted social media post, garnering over 100,000 engagements across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Content creators like Mark Tan of Eatsplorations incorporated cinematography in his entry while the Bento Momma community spruced up the SPAM® Rice Ball by making them look like adorable animals and anime characters.
Home cooks and chef-in-shorts also posted their entries for the challenge across Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram. These lovers of the SPAM® Brand made sure to add their own twist to the recipe since the SPAM® Luncheon Meat makes it easy to elevate everyday meals.
The #SPAMRiceBallChallenge garnered a total of 156, 900 engagements across Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, and secured coverage from publications such as Manila Bulletin and BusinessWorld.
Aside from the #SPAMRiceBallchallenge, Evident also used the SPAM® Brand’s Facebook and Instagram to generate awareness for the Comfort Food menu launch, using static and non-static posts like GIFs as well as interactive posts like polls with giveaway chances.
The Choose your Own SPAM® Brand Adventure is an interactive Facebook post that had people excitedly guessing the location of the SPAM® Food Truck Comfort Food launch. SPAM® Brand Philippines also teased different online communities by sharing the SPAM® Comfort Food Menu and prompting them to try the secret menu item.
The SPAM® Food Truck menu launch: Evident’s first on-ground event during the pandemic
The best way to entice people with the SPAM® Comfort Food menu is to bring it to them. There’s nothing like holding a bowl of fresh-off-the-pan SPAM® Classic dishes, smelling and tasting it as the chef tells the story of how the recipe came to be.
This is what Evident did for the SPAM® Brand’s Food Truck’s physical launch.
The SPAM® Comfort Food Tasting Event, held in ArcoVia Pasig, is Evident’s first on-ground event execution during the pandemic. It is an exclusive, invite-only menu tasting event where invited guests get to taste the SPAM® Comfort Food menu as Chef RJ Ramos talks about the journey of creating the recipes.
To support the menu-tasting event, Evident distributed customized picnic baskets which contained an invitation card, SPAM® Cans, and several SPAM® Brand Merchandise including the SPAM® Slicer which caught the attention of many. The SPAM® Picnic Basket became a sought-out novelty kit and generated buzz on Facebook, Instagram, and even Tiktok.
In attendance were some of the most influential and up-and-coming foodies in the PH community, namely Chel Tiu, Pancho Nesh, Yuri Ferraren, Franz Valcerina, Conn Cruz, Krisha Bernal, and Edward Bugia.
To ensure safety protocols and proper social distancing is met, Evident only allowed 15 people within the event proper, including the staff, Chef RJ Ramos, the event host, and the invited guests. All attendees inside the event area tested negative in the COVID-19 Antigen test before going inside.**
The SPAM® Comfort Food Launch garnered a total of 25,059 social media reach from the invited influencers. As for the PR efforts, the SPAM® Comfort Food menu launch was covered by top lifestyle publications in the country such as ANCx, SPOT.ph, and Philippine Daily Inquirer.
After the launch at Arcovia, the SPAM® Food Truck wheeled its way to prime locations such as Capitol Commons, Ortigas East, and Greenhills. Fans of the SPAM® Brand made sure to visit the Food Truck and post their orders on social media, tagging the SPAM® Instagram and Facebook profiles.
The SPAM® Comfort Food menu is yours to recreate at home
Just like how SPAM® Luncheon Meat is an all-time must-have in the pantry, the SPAM® Comfort Food Menu is here to stay with Filipinos even when the Food Truck comes up with a new menu.
PH Foodie Community leader ForkSpoon Manila recreated the SPAM® Comfort Food menu, demonstrating how easy and convenient it is to cook your favorite comfort food recipes with Luncheon Meat from the comfort of your home.
Evident’s omnichannel approach helped the SPAM® Food Truck Comfort Food campaign serve as a springboard for the SPAM® Brand’s marketing efforts in 2021.
**Evident enforced strict guidelines following the IATF and Pasig LGU guidelines. Strict social distancing was followed and food safety protocols were observed.
