No Frills Hauler

No Frills, a Canadian discount supermarket, isn’t exactly known for having an enjoyable atmosphere to shop in: stripping away the decor—the “frills”—allows the grocer to offer the low prices that it does. The consequence was its low standing in customer experience and quality association. But saving money isn’t something to be ashamed of. So we turned getting more for less into a badge of honour and gave No Frills shoppers a new identity: Hauler.

Instead of acting like a typical discount grocer, we teased the campaign the way an artist would tease an album drop: with cryptic wildpostings and a line of streetwear that FADER magazine called “actually cool.” All this led to the release of a music video that redefined what it means to shop at No Frills.

Following the success of the original campaign, the second year of Haulers expanded the Haulerverse with a retro 8-bit video game as well as a 12-track album (featured on Jimmy Fallon!) about the joys of saving money on groceries.