QA - Couche-Tard: Scoring big with hockey fans through RDS

Turning Hockey Passion into brand performance

When Couche-Tard partnered with RDS, the objective was clear: become a natural part of Quebec’s hockey culture while driving measurable business results. The “Visit and Win!” campaign ran from September to November 2025, aligning with peak hockey season to maximize emotional connection and attention.

“Hockey is part of Quebec’s DNA, and this campaign allows us to bring together two passions: Couche-Tard and hockey. Partnering with RDS lets us connect directly with consumers during a powerful moment of community.”

Alissa Woo
Marketing Director – Canada
Couche-Tard

Rather than relying on traditional advertising alone, the brand activated a content-led strategy integrating Couche-Tard directly into Quebec’s most-watched sports environments. With a weekly reach of 2.8 million viewers, RDS provided the scale and credibility needed to move the campaign beyond awareness and into meaningful engagement.

Custom segments, in-program integrations and personalized mentions during Canadiens games ensured Couche-Tard was present when fans were most engaged, turning moments of shared excitement into opportunities for brand connection.

“What we aimed for was to really make Couche-Tard a natural part of Quebec’s hockey scene. We brought Couche-Tard and RDS together, and through that, we’ve woven the brand into Bell Media’s top hockey content in ways that feel genuine and exciting. This means Couche-Tard truly connects with fans, making them eager to claim their daily prizes and enter the ‘Visit and Win!’ contest”

Charlotte Maurais
Associate Manager
Media Partnerships, WPP Media Sports + Entertainment Canada.

Data-Driven Proof of Brand Lift

Using YouGov BrandIndex, daily brand perception was measured throughout the campaign and compared to the pre-campaign period. The results showed a clear and sustained lift among RDS viewers and demonstrated how premium sports content, when paired with authentic brand integration, can move perception:

• Positive impression scores increased by 47%, maintaining higher levels throughout the campaign window.
• Overall brand health metrics, including impression, quality, satisfaction and recommendation, were significantly stronger among exposed viewers.
• Key funnel metrics such as ad awareness, buzz and consideration outperformed non-exposed audiences.

Driving Digital Action Beyond the Screen

The campaign’s impact extended beyond television exposure. Bell first-party data revealed a strong connection between RDS viewership and real-world behavior, as well as RDS’s ability to drive action at scale:

• Quebecers exposed to the campaign on RDS were 34% more likely to visit jeux.couche-tard.com during the campaign period.
• Among regular viewers of Canadiens games and surrounding programming, visitation lift climbed to 48%, confirming the value of highly engaged sports environments.
• Nearly a third of the website’s visitors were new visitors who had not visited the website in at least a year.

Why It Worked

• Hockey context drove relevance : Couche-Tard aligned with a cultural passion point, ensuring authenticity and emotional resonance.
• Premium sports environments amplified impact : RDS delivered high attention, trusted content and unmatched reach among Quebec sports fans.
• Integrated storytelling outperformed traditional ads : Branded content and in-program integrations made the message feel natural rather than interruptive.