Hasta La Creative!

Nature Valley Canada shouts “You kids, get off my lawn!” in a curmudgeonly new ad from Cossette that contrasts the childhood memories of three generations of families.

The brand yearns for the good old days of fishin’, fort buildin’, and granola eatin’ in the great outdoors. And it argues that newfangled tablets and video games are just ruinin’ childhoods left and right, leaving parents with tears and fears for the future.

So, are they just engaging in intergenerational hate mongering here, or do they have a legit point? It probably depends on the generation you’re from, and whether you feel like you actually fit the technology stereotypes of that generation.

Boomers who’ve learned to stop worrying and love their tablets will feel just as criticized as millennials or Gen Z members who go hiking every weekend. And stuck in between are the poor parents in this video, shamed in front of Grandpa and Grandma for failing to provide a robust childhood of wilderness adventures for their technology-addicted kids.

Just watch the response this hot topic has generated as all three generations ironically fight it out in the comments section of the YouTube video. (Pro-tip for old people: Shouting down a sassy 14-year-old in the comments section of a brand page with ad hominem attacks does not make you a nature crusader.)

The tagline is, “Rediscover the joys of nature.” So, how is Nature Valley Canada helping people do that? Well, they’ve got a website that tells you where the National Parks are, gives 10 suggestions for what to do in nature, and lets you donate to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. In other words: nothing, really.

Of course, it’s possible that changing the trajectory of the entire technological revolution is beyond the abilities of a granola company’s Canadian marketing division. Which begs the question: Is it enough for a brand to stand for something, if it doesn’t actually do anything?

It would probably have been easier for the brand to champion nature and donate a ton of money to National Parks cleanup without pissing on technology at the same time. But it wouldn’t have generated nearly as many angry old people shouting, “Back in my day!”

And that truly would have been a tragedy.

Last year, granola-bar brand Nature Valley and ad agency McCann Erickson, New York, unveiled one of the most ambitious digital campaigns of the year, Nature Valley Trail View, which created a first-of-its-kind interactive hiking experience thanks to teams who used Google Street View technology to map trails in three National Parks—the Grand Canyon, the Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone. The effort won two gold Lions at Cannes and legions of fans across the nation.

Today, agency and client unveiled the next evolution of the site, with three main improvements: more trail view footage (partly through the addition of 50 miles of footage from a fourth park, Sequoia); a comprehensive hub for the brand's past, present and future preservation activity; and fully interactive social functionality.

As mentioned in the video below, the preservation message is key. That part of the site now includes an interactive map with expert conservation content. Now, as users discover the trails, they can also get a sense of the preservation needs in each area and how Nature Valley is working to help.

In the past three years, Nature Valley has donated more than $1.3 million to support America's national parks. The brand will give $500,000 more this year to the National Parks Conservation Association.

"Nature Valley is about inspiring consumers to get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer," says Maria Carolina Comings, associate marketing manager for Nature Valley. "Our national parks are America's treasures that must be preserved and protected, and we hope to help raise awareness of the parks through Nature Valley Trail View and our ongoing restoration efforts. Through technology, we can help make the parks accessible to all, and encourage outdoor exploration for years to come."

More photos and credits below.

CREDITS
Client: Nature Valley
Project: Nature Valley Trail View 2.0
Agency: McCann Erickson, New York
Chairman: Linus Karlsson
Chief Creative Officers: Tom Murphy, Sean Bryan
Executive Creative Director: Leslie Sims
Group Creative Director: Mat Bisher
Creative Director: Jason Schmall
Copywriter: Sarah Lloyd
Chief Production Officer: Brian DiLorenzo
Executive Integrated Producer: Catherine Eve Patterson
Senior Integrated Producer: Geoffrey Guinta
Editor: Nathan Thompson
Executive Music Producer: Peter Gannon
Production: Traction
Creative Principal, Field Producer: Bryan Roberts
Producer: Adam Baskin
Digitech Cameraman: James deMuth
Lead Cameraman: Brandon McClain
Preservation Lead, Writer: Greg Jackson
Design and Development: Your Majesty
Executive Creative Director, Photographer: Jens Karlsson
Design Director: Riley Milhem
Tech Lead: Micah Acinapura
Developer: Raed Atoui
Executive Producer: Heather Reddig