Who: Toronto-based cemetery business Mount Pleasant Group (MPG), Union, Married to Giants (editing), Wingman VFX (online), 69 Berkeley (audio).
What: A new integrated campaign, “Love can live on, after you’re gone.”
When & Where: The campaign debuted on Aug. 6 and is running through March 2020. Online videos are being served on premium publishers including Corus, Rogers and CBC, while the company is also running a closed-captioning sponsorship on Global News. The campaign also includes a pair of radio spots.
Why: The goal, says MPG’s AVP of marketing and communications Rick Cowan, is to create a positive connection between consumers and MPG, making it top of mind when the time comes to select its services.
How: A 60-second hero spot shows a man selecting a wedding ring for his girlfriend, and informing the sales person via voiceover that he still feels he needs to ask for her father’s permission to marry.
The spot shows the man cycling through the city en route to what we assume is the father’s house, only to end up at the father’s grave in one of the company’s 10 GTA cemeteries.
It was directed by acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Hubert Davis, whose directorial debut Hardwood— a tribute to his father, former Harlem Globetrotter Ed Davis—was nominated for both an Academy Award and an Emmy Award. Davis also directed the powerful “Boys don’t cry” PSA for White Ribbon, as well as work for clients including Audi and CIBC’s Run for the Cure.
There are also a pair of 15-second spots, “Trees” and “Sunset,” that show grown children visiting their parents graves. A pair of radio ads feature adults talking about how they still talk to their mom or dad about what’s happening in their life, or their favourite team’s chances of making the playoffs, before revealing that these “visits” are actually to their parent’s grave.
And we quote: “People come to our cemeteries to remember their loved ones and maintain a connection with them after they’ve passed on. This spot captures that truth beautifully.” — Rick Cowan, AVP of marketing and communications, Mount Pleasant Group.
