The holiday season is the most competitive period of the year for grocery retailers. For IGA Québec, the challenge was standing out in a cluttered festive landscape: not with discounts or flyers, but with something that could genuinely earn attention, drive return visits, and deepen loyalty among Quebec and New Brunswick shoppers.
The goal was to translate IGA's warmth and food culture into a digital-first experience that felt as festive as the season itself, while meaningfully activating their loyalty program and holiday product offering.
The solution was 'L'Avent Gourmand', IGA's digital advent calendar, a free-to-play online platform.
Rather than a static promotion, the experience was built around daily participation: a new surprise unlocked each day through mini-games rooted in Christmas culinary traditions, from uncovering ingredients for a secret recipe to saving a gingerbread man or spotting differences between two festive scenes.
As the digital lead on the project, I oversaw the strategic positioning, client communications and the platform development, ensuring a delivery on both brand and performance objectives across owned and digital channels.
The mini-games were short, engaging, and built for all ages, making 'L'Avent Gourmand' an ideal family entertainment format for the season. Crucially, the mechanic was designed to reward consistent return visits: playing daily increased players' chances of winning the grand prize, while also unlocking daily surprises. The platform wove together IGA's holiday guide, their loyalty program, and seasonal promotions into a single cohesive experience, turning a rewards mechanic into daily entertainment.
L'Avent Gourmand successfully transformed a seasonal promotion into a 24-day engagement loop, driving daily active participation throughout the full holiday month. The campaign was picked up by Grenier aux Nouvelles, Quebec's leading marketing and advertising trade publication, recognizing it as a standout innovation in local retail marketing.
The initiative demonstrated that grocery loyalty programs can compete for consumer attention, not just transaction value, when built around meaningful, habitual experiences.
