Who: Digital moving concierge service MoveSnap and Broken Heart Love Affair, with Jam3, RER Productions, Epitaph Group for media and Hype PR.
What: A-Void, a new “bubble rap” album featuring original songs by Canadian artists Shawn Desman, Maestro Fresh Wes and Mia Martina, all constructed around the theme of moving. It’s the first campaign for MoveSnap, which was acquired by RBC Ventures in 2018.
When & Where: The three-track (plus intro) album is housed on Spotify, complemented by a robust social media awareness campaign running through mid-November that includes YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.
Why: It’s the first awareness campaign for MoveSnap, which is currently available as a service through real estate agents, lawyers and homebuilders and helps people accomplish some of the more annoying tasks associated with moving— such as finding a moving company, connecting utilities or changing addresses—via a single platform.
It’s specifically about infusing the MoveSnap brand with humanity while reflecting its purpose of relieving the stress associated with moving, says head of marketing, Phuong Tran.
How: The campaign is built around the creative platform “a job well avoided,” with bubble wrap serving as a symbol of what Tran describes as playful avoidance. (Who among us hasn’t taken some time to pop bubble wrap to procrastinate moving-related tasks?)
“Bubble wrap is such a key item tied to the moving process,” says Tran. “It’s a universal object, almost everyone can relate to it. [And music is] a universal connector. It was a natural connection for us.”
All of the original songs use the sound of popping bubble wrap as a percussive device, while song titles such as “Movin’ On,” “Off to the Next” and “Need Some Space” all indirectly reference moving. Sample lyrics include “Thinking to yourself where will you go?/new place, new city, new love…don’t know” (Shawn Desman’s “Movin’ On”) and “We searchin’ for tomorrow while we lookin’ for the guidin’ light/we young and restless where we headin’ goin’ be twice as nice” (Maestro Fresh Wes’ “Off to the next”).
Depending on where people are in the sales funnel, the creative drives either to the Spotify playlist, the MoveSnap site or a dedicated website called BubbleRap.ca, where people can create and share their own songs using the bubble pops and beats from the commissioned tracks. There is also a B2B newsletter campaign targeting realtors, one of the campaign’s primary audiences.
All three artists were selected because of their nostalgic appeal among those Canadians who might be ready to move, says Broken Heart Love Affair’s partner and chief creative officer, Todd Mackie.
Is it still moving season?: Well yes and no. Like so many things, the traditional “moving season” has been completely upended by the pandemic, starting later than usual but extending well into the fall, particularly as the warm weather continues. The campaign will continue into November before being re-assessed.
And we quote: “[T]his integrated campaign is an unconventional—and fun—way of expanding awareness of our service and technology with Canadians. By tapping into the nostalgia of known Canadian artists, we were able to deliver our unique message in a clever and compelling way that resonates, helping people realize that moving doesn’t have to be this horribly difficult experience when MoveSnap is involved.” — Phuong Tran, head of marketing, MoveSnap
“They were pretty courageous to go this route, and since the very beginning Phuong Tran has been really open to doing something really big and different. There aren’t a lot of brands that would do something like this with their first campaign out of the gate.” —Bev Hammond, partner, chief business officer Broken Heart Love Affair
