Do the names Nick, Kevin, Howie, Brian and A.J. mean anything to you? Doesn’t ring a bell? Really? You’re thinking maybe hockey players? Basketball? Where were you when the Backstreet Boys were making waves in the mid-1990s?

This boy band hailed from Orlando, Florida, home of three of the members, and Lexington, Kentucky. Their youth and their catchy pop style appealed to young – even very young – fans who liked to sing and dance and dream of their own fairytale success story. It was easy to identify with these crowd pleasers, the eldest of whom was 22 and the youngest 17! The Backstreet Boys craze spread through Europe and Canada, and was especially strong in Quebec, where the band’s popularity prompted Lassonde to take a closer look.

In the summer of 1997, following negotiations with local producer Donald K. Donald, Lassonde became the official sponsor of Backstreet Boys concerts in Canada. On May 1, a major advertising and promotional campaign was launched in association with the Fruité fruit drink brand, replete with posters in supermarkets, photos of the band on more than two million two-litre Fruité containers, and TV ads on Musique Plus and MuchMusic. There was also a contest for prizes that included concert tickets, special edition Fruité Backstreet Boys jackets and t-shirts, and, of course, exclusive meet-and-greets with the band. Millions of young people in Toronto, Halifax and Montreal left the shows singing We’ve Got It Goin’ On. It was a hit and so was Fruité!

Next column: And then there was light…