Wendy’s Canada Recruits Canadians to Help Grow 'the Most-Loved Lettuce Ever'

In keeping with Wendy’s commitment to serve the freshest salads, Wendy’s Canada has announced they will be serving 100% greenhouse grown Canadian lettuce. The move introduces locally grown lettuce which uses up to 90% less water, no pesticides and – with the help of a new ad campaign – lots of love.

There is a wealth of scientific research that suggests that plants grow better when shown a bit of love. So, Wendy’s creative agency, McCann Canada, had the idea to put that research to the test. Wendy’s new campaign #GrownWithLove encourages Canadians to help grow the happiest, best tasting, most-loved lettuce ever, from seed to harvest. Canadians are being asked to cheer on the lettuce via Twitter using the hashtag #GrownWithLove. Tweets will be read out loud to the lettuce in Wendy’s 'test' greenhouse for two hours every day, which follows guidance from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Meanwhile, the non-Wendy’s lettuce planted in a second 'control' area of the greenhouse will be grown as usual – sans Canada’s love and positive encouragement. Cameras installed in the test greenhouse will showcase the growth progress of the lettuce day in and day out. Because lettuce is one of the fastest growing crops, maturing at an average of 30 days, Wendy’s will be able to share the effects of Canadians’ love before summer’s end.

Each salad made with this particular batch of loved lettuce will feature special packaging distinguishing it as having been 'Grown With Love', so everyone who participated in the campaign will get to taste the fruits of their labour.

“When the team at McCann presented the #GrownWithLove idea to us, it was an immediate ‘yes’ from everyone on our team. It’s clever, lighthearted and filled with love – and we can all use a bit of that right now,” said Lisa Deletroz, director of marketing at Wendy’s Canada. “For the past month, we’ve been working with the greenhouse team to get the right technology in place at the greenhouse so that the lettuce can, in fact, feel the love from Canadians coast to coast.”

Deletroz added: “We’re very excited about introducing greenhouse grown Canadian lettuce in all of Wendy’s salads. Now more than ever, we’re seeing people engage with local food. Canadians are especially hungry for local and sustainable produce – and we are thrilled to introduce our new lettuce to feed that desire.”

Wendy’s is the first national brand in the Canadian QSR industry to serve great-tasting, crispy and crunchy greenhouse-grown lettuce in all 384 of its restaurants across the country.

The national #GrownWithLove campaign will span TV, online video, digital and social. McCann Canada developed and produced the creative work. Wendy’s Canada’s media AOR, Initiative, provided media support and Wendy’s PR AOR, Ketchum, supported all PR outreach.