Where's the Beef? Ontario Butchers Can Answer That Question and So Much More

This one offers choice tips on just about everything

Do you have a good face for bangs? How exactly does one do the hokey pokey? What’s the highest hand in poker? Better ask a butcher. They’ll set you straight.

Indeed, Ontario Beef’s jocular behind-the-counter know-it-all has all the answers in cute spots from Bob’s Your Uncle and director David Hicks.

That dude’s got chops!

“Research showed that butchers are highly trusted and play an influential role in purchasing decisions,” agency CCO Bob Froese tells Muse. “The work is aimed at Ontario shoppers who already have a positive perception of local beef, but may not think to ask for it at the meat counter.”

“The humor makes the work memorable, while the message remains simple: asking for Ontario beef should be the easiest question of all.”

“Ontario beef is already well-regarded by consumers,” Froese says. “So, the opportunity is behavioral, not attitudinal. The business goal is to keep Ontario beef top of mind and turn that goodwill into action.”

“By encouraging consumers to ask specifically for Ontario beef, and positioning butchers as trusted advocates, we’re reminding shoppers to seek it out, make more intentional purchasing decisions and support Ontario’s local meat industry.”

This marks the campaign’s second iteration, following a flight of commercials in 2024. That push steered a 350 percent boost in website traffic and a 60 percent uptick in visits to this “Find a Local Butcher” tool, the brand says.

Daniel Gardener and Alaina Attard show real chemistry as butcher and customer. This stuff’s not fall-down funny. But it offers tasty tidbits, presumably whetting appetites for more and juicing the call to action.

“We were working with very talented improv actors and a director with a keen sense of comedy. Once the cameras started rolling, we were in a masterclass,” Froese recalls.

“Although we had come into the day with three commercials to shoot, we left with four. The ‘Poker Face’ spot was created from scratch on the set.”

Looks like butchers know about making ads, too.