2026 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

In a context where alcohol consumption is declining in Quebec, and attention is increasingly fragmented, SAQ needed more than visibility to revive rosé sales. Instead of entering the cluttered spring promotional cycle, we identified a culturally powerful moment where Rosé was already relevant: Mother’s Day.

By transforming one of mom’s most popular radio stations, Rouge FM, into “Rosé FM” for a week. Listeners experienced something bigger than radio advertising: custom content, adapted shows, rewritten jingles, and a full continuation across social and digital platforms. For four days, everything was about Moms and rosé. The campaign was concentrated but immersive enough that even within that short window, rosé sales jumped 47% compared to the previous year.

Since 2020, alcohol consumption has been declining in Quebec 1, directly affecting SAQ’s sales. Rosé wine, despite its strong seasonal appeal during spring and summer, has not been immune to this trend.

The objective was to increase Rosé sales in spring 2025 versus 2024. Declining category demand meant the agency couldn’t rely on seasonal habits alone to drive growth. Spring is one of the most cluttered periods in food and beverage marketing. Traditional “summer is coming” messaging blends into a sea of similar campaigns, making it difficult to capture attention, let alone drive business results.

The best way to kick off rosé season isn't to celebrate summer. It's to celebrate those who love rosé the most: moms.

They looked at who actually buys and drinks rosé. Then they looked at when rosé naturally shows up like hosting, gifting, and gathering- and realized all of those moments peak on one specific weekend: Mother's Day. In other words, the occasion, the audience, and the product were already connected.

Turn Rouge FM, the #1 radio station among moms, into Rosé FM for Mother's Day weekend.

With only a few days to own the station, every touchpoint had to be planned to build anticipation before the takeover and extend the experience beyond radio once it launched.

The strategy came to life across three key dimensions.

First, they turned media into an experience. Rather than using radio as a channel, they turned it into the idea itself. For four days, Rouge FM became Rosé FM. They rewrote jingles, embedding the Rosé theme into the station’s DNA. Curated playlists featuring songs tied to “Rosé,” creating subtle but constant thematic reinforcement. And added editorial segments (sommelier tips, hosting content) integrating the product into lifestyle conversations.

Then they leveraged cultural context and talent. The transformation was launched live during “Véronique et les Fantastiques,” the station’s most popular show, hosted by Véronique Cloutier, a trusted cultural figure among their target, and a mom.

The reveal also aligned with “Suave Thursday,” an existing aperitif-themed segment, ensuring the brand integrated seamlessly into established listener rituals.

Finally, hosts, studio visuals, and tone were reimagined in a Rosé aesthetic.

They extended the experience across touchpoints. To amplify the connection beyond radio, they built a 360° ecosystem. They used Bell Media platforms, homepage takeovers, digital integrations, and out-of-home featuring station talent. They also used organic social media content from hosts and invited guests increased engagement. SAQ-owned channels also targeted messaging aimed at moms and gift-givers.

Each touchpoint reinforced the same idea: not just promoting Rosé, but embedding it into a shared cultural moment.

First, it identified Mother’s Day, not summer, as the most meaningful entry point for Rosé.

Second, it helped identify the media most consumed by their target audience, which led them to Rouge FM.

Third, once the creative idea of turning Rouge FM into Rosé FM was established, planning shaped the execution with a teaser period to make sure people would tune in for the transformation.

Finally, they mapped out a full list of touchpoints to ensure the campaign would feel like a true takeover.

Rosé sales increased by 47% year-over-year during the 4 days leading up to Mother’s Day vs. 2024, which represents $1.3 million in incremental revenue. The campaign delivered a 569.6% ROI on a $206 thousand media investment, alongside a 25% increase in average spend per visit.

The campaign also generated 285 on-air integrations across programming, including Pierre Hébert and Christine Morency with Complètement midi and Vos hits du weekend. Social content saw a 97.7% approval rate on SAQ and Rouge FM social channels, with high engagement driven by talent-led, platform-native content.

Ultimately, what seemed like a risky, highly concentrated media bet proved that when insight, context, and execution align, connection becomes a powerful driver of both brand and business growth.

Credits

AGENCY: Cossette
PRODUCTION HOUSE: Septième
MEDIA: Cossette Media

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, COSSETTE EAST: Michel-Alex Lessard
DIRECTOR, STRATEGY: Rémi Charpentier
STRATEGIC PLANNER, PRINCIPAL: Nathan Pillot
CONTENT STRATEGY: François-Olivier Thibault, Catherine Rondeau

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, COSSETTE EAST: Anne-Claude Chénier
CREATIVE DIRECTION : Anik Ouellet
COPYWRITING: Éléonore Hurtubise
ART DIRECTION: Isabelle Giguère
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT: Juliette Bourbonnais
PRODUCT: Simon Parent, Alexandra Zins, Justine Ouellet
MEDIA: Laurence Laperrière, Alphée Lamothe, Florence Brassard

PRINT PRODUCTION : Natalie Gadoua
LINGUISTIC : Nathalie Fournier, Marc Grandmont
PRINT AND DIGITAL PRODUCTION : M&H, Septième

MEDIA PARTNER : Bell Média
MEDIA CREATIVITY : Léa Désourdy-Hamelin. Tristan Machard-Garceau, Valérie Bazinet, Chantal Lacombe, Patrick Duval, Rouge FM marketing and program team

CLIENTS: Roxane Lalonde, Nevine Baccarat, Véronique Vivian, Nancy Fortin, Marie-Luce Heitz, Elizabeth Matte