Busken Bakery, an 85-year-old Cincinnati institution had in recent years changed its leadership, welcoming Dan Busken as its fourth generation familyowner and President of the company. With him came a new energy andsensibility for the company, and a great opportunity to reach out to a newdemographic. Young couples in their late 20’s and 30’s were bringing their children into Busken stores, in the same tradition that they were raised.
The 10th anniversary of MidPointMusic Festival (MPMF), an indie music concert held annually in Cincinnati, provided the perfect setting for a large-scale experiential campaign targeting young families as well as millennials.Brand ambassadors with pseudonyms like Hutch, Jimmy, Cinna and Dot, made their way through MPMF in nostalgic candy-striper inspired outfits, handing out 10,000 of Busken’s signature glazed donuts to festival patrons during the three-day event. Accompanying the donut was printed promotional material for the bakery including calls to action to visit GotGlazed.com, where fans could download a free sampler of music from popular bands at the festival.
The ubiquitous candy stripers quickly became the talk of the event, with hungry festival-goers making second and third trips to track down the sweet treats. By reaching out to a younger audience and providing a fun, intelligently branded experience on a level that spoke to them, Busken was able to successfully connect their heritage brand with a new generation of loyal customers.
