Who: Interac, with Zulu Alpha Kilo (The French Shop for French creative), Zulubot, Alter Ego, TA2 Sound + Music, LaMajeure, Roméo & Fils. Media Experts for media. Directed by Brad Freeman/Lossless Brothers.
What: “Gifts that meant a million,” a new integrated campaign for the payment processing company.
When & Where: The campaign launched today and runs through Dec. 31 across connected TV, online video and social. Ads are also running on Spotify and Walmart.ca, and there is also a content component with media brand Narcity based on how to shop meaningfully by shopping locally. Content is also being developed with Instagram and TikTok creators.
Why: Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but it looks like it’s going to be a very different holiday season this year. The holidays are typically a budget-busting occasion, but a recent PwC Canada report found that 86% of Canadian consumers expect to spend the same or less this holiday season. When asked how the pandemic will affect their personal spending capabilities for the holiday season, 57% of respondents indicated that it has had a negative or slightly negative impact.
The campaign is about showing how simple, heartfelt gifts—rather than the latest tech or must-have item—can mean the most. There’s also a more subtle message here about the importance of shopping locally during an extraordinarily difficult time for small businesses.
How: The campaign features real Canadians reminiscing about gifts that meant the most to them and had an impact on their lives. For Ratzan, it was a cookbook from a college friend that ignited his passion for cooking; for Holly it was a pair of hiking boots that fostered her love of the outdoors and brought her closer to family; and for Alexandre it was a used bike from his grandfather that brought the two men closer together.
[W]e wanted to show Canadians just how far their hard-earned dollars can go when they purchase a thoughtful gift,” said Wain Choi, executive creative director at Zulu Alpha Kilo.
And we quote: “We understand Canadians are experiencing a different holiday season this year. It’s an important time to reassure Canadians that they can still give meaningful gifts to their loved ones despite tighter budgets.” —Matt Houghton, director of digital and integrated marketing, Interac
