David Alexander Nichol (February 9, 1940 – September 22, 2013) was a Canadian businessman and product marketing expert.
For a time, as a pitchman for Loblaws, he became a recognizable Canadian business personality, largely due to his being featured in thirty-second commercials, and thirty-minute infomercials during the mid-1990s.
Throughout Nichol's association with President's Choice, Loblaw relied heavily on the executive's own palate when it came to product development.
"[4] The Loblaw test kitchen was, in fact, situated next door to Nichol's office in central Toronto where it served as crucible for product acceptance or rejection: Nichol is stepping through his daily paces in Loblaw's airy, white test kitchen.
[5] If an item met with Nichol's approval, and merchandisers expressed interest, it could be brought to market in a few months.
He appeared in dozens of television commercials and radio spots promoting Loblaws products, most notably the President's Choice line.
He starred in thirty-minute infomercials several times a year upon release of Loblaws Insider's Report periodical, of which he oversaw the development.
This free publication, started in 1983, was an enhanced store flyer produced three times a year that marketed new products at discounted introductory prices.
Some products he touted are still sold, including the President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie, which was introduced in 1988.
[8] In 1994, Anne Kingston released his authorized biography, The Edible Man: Dave Nichol, President's Choice & the Making of Popular Taste.
Nichol attempted to repeat his success as spokesman by naming a beer after himself, made by Cott, and marketing it in television commercials very similar in style to his old Loblaws President's Choice spots.
[9] However, his marketing and product success was not repeated at Cott, as the company struggled to expand under Nichol, whose taste "seemed to diverge too much from the mainstream"[10] Moreover, without direct access to shelf space, which came at Loblaws, he "had a far more difficult time gaining entry, as a result spending an excessive amount of money to secure shelf space.