June 15
Pinterest is marking Pride Month with a number of actions and initiatives, including a new campaign video called “Show Your True Colours” featuring six LGBTQ+ Pinners sharing their personal stories of identity and self-expression.
Pinterest is featuring content from creators in the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the Today tab, and will host a global virtual event on June 23 to drive inspiration and conversation around being a LBGTQ+ creator and business.
“Pinterest’s mission is to provide everyone with the inspiration to create a life they love. And we know it’s easier to feel inspired when you feel properly represented,” it said in a statement. “And today, we’re announcing that Pinners will be able to self-select their pronoun(s) and add it to their profile in the coming weeks…
“Their selected pronouns will show up on their profile, next to their username, which allows Pinners to self-identify and express who they are and helps build an even more inclusive experience on Pinterest.”
Circle K/Couche Tard has chosen Taxi as its new creative agency following an agency search. According to a release, Taxi’s national presence in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal was a key factor in winning the business, which has “significant regionality.”
Melissa Lessard, the company’s head of marketing and merchandising Canada, said they connected with the agency team even though the pitch had to be conducted virtually. “In this virtual Zoomified world, one thing rings true; you know a good team when you see one. It just clicked,” she said. “They absolutely get us and know retail. They impressed us with their energy, passion, agility and performance mindset.”
“Melissa and the team at Circle K/Couche Tard have big ambitions for the business. We couldn’t be more excited to help them better connect with consumers, grow the Circle K franchise across Canada, and celebrate the rich history of Couche Tard in Quebec,” said Taxi president Emma Toth.
Budweiser appears to have something rather odd brewing. In a cryptic press release Tuesday, the beer brand claimed that it is getting into insurance (anyone remember the Bud Light Institute?).
“Mike D’Agostini, Budweiser senior marketing director, Labatt Breweries of Canada, understands there will be doubters about this new venture, but explains why it makes sense for the brand,” said the release.
“Unconventional as insurance may seem, Budweiser is known for putting our customers first. The pandemic opened our eyes to this untapped opportunity, which is aimed at providing better security for Canadians and enabling them to live the life they want.”
A request for clarification from the beer brand’s PR agency elicited the following response: “While Budweiser’s take on insurance isn’t exactly traditional, it’s one that aligns perfectly with Budweiser’s brand philosophy of bringing people together to enjoy time spent with friends. Full details will become available next week.”
Reddit launched its first Canadian consumer campaign in Toronto on Tuesday, part of a global effort by R/GA.
“Maybe together we’ll” showcases the depth and breadth of Reddit’s 100,000+ communities, and inspires more people to dive into the platform. It launches with OOH creative that celebrates Reddit’s LGBTQ+ communities, who are also featured in the campaign’s hero film
“This year more than ever, the world has seen the power of online communities to drive real world action. “Maybe together we’ll” is a celebration of this spirit and an opportunity for us to showcase the communities, users, conversations and shared experiences that make Reddit such a special place,” said Reddit CMO Roxy Young.
The campaign launched simultaneously in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto, using high-profile OOH placements complement by digital and video on over-the-top services. It comes a few months after Reddit opened an office in Toronto, part of an ambitious growth effort that was to include new spending in advertising.
June 14
Fountain Tire has introduced what it describes as a “digital garage advent calendar” as part of its 65th anniversary celebrations.
Visitors to the FountainTire65.com site are presented with a series of garage bay doors that reveal a prize when clicked open. The promotion launched on June 7, with a new prize revealed every day for 65 days.
The contest is being supported by a video from FCB Canada that references other popular forms of contesting, such as rolling up the rim and tagging five friends on Instagram, before asking “[H]ave you ever clicked on 65 bay doors for daily prizes? We didn’t think so.”
“As we were planning our 65th anniversary, we knew that our customers needed to be the focus. And what better way to celebrate than by delighting our customers with a number of great prizes to kick off the summer,” said Denise Gohl-Eacrett, Fountain Tire’s director of brand and customer experience, in a release.
Lg2 and NOVA Film have launched a new campaign for Québec City Tourism urging locals to explore the city while it remains closed to international tourists.
The $3 million campaign is running across TV and on social media from May 31 to Sept. 26, part of a $27 million stimulus package to relaunch tourism in the area for the crucial summer season. That includes a $75 prepaid credit card for anyone booking a stay of two nights or more at an establishment registered with Québec City’s regional hotel association.
The “Let’s enjoy Québec City for all of them,” campaign takes a documentary style approach, featuring interviews with people from Mexico, France and Korea who were forced to cancel a planned trip to the city because of the pandemic.
In a three-minute video, they urge people who live close to Québec City to take in what it has to offer before the international tourists return. “The whole world can’t wait to visit Quebec City,” says the closing super. “Enjoy it while they still can’t.” The campaign will also run in Ontario if the borders between the two provinces open, said Québec City Tourism.
GoDaddy Canada has partnered with Toronto radio station Indie88 on a new program encouraging people to shop local. They will promote a different Toronto business for the next 12 weeks, with each featured business receiving a package valued at $600 that includes a website revamp, an on-air shoutout on Indie88, and an editorial feature. One business owner will be awarded a grand prize of $10,000 from GoDaddy to create or upgrade their website.
According to GoDaddy’s global entrepreneurship study, nearly two-thirds (60%) of Canadian small businesses have made changes to their website during the pandemic, including opening an online store, adding content or increasing digital marketing activities.
Edelman has been named North American AOR for Sol Cuisine, a plant-based protein brand based in Mississauga, Ont. Edelman will be responsible for driving the brand’s Canadian and U.S. creative strategy, with work led out of its Toronto office.
“We were really impressed with Edelman’s creativity and integrated approach and know they’ll be a great partner to help us evolve our brand and support our vision to become the leading provider of plant-based foods.” said Sol’s chief marketing officer Ken Cross in a release. The company recently started trading on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Mississauga, Ont.-based Influence Marketing, has announced a strategic partnership with Toronto-based digital creative agency Noble Pixels that will see Noble become part of Influence’s in-house digital team, with Noble Pixels founder Majid Ariannejad taking over as lead of digital strategy.
Influence Marketing said that combined talent pool will allow it to offer a wider range of digital services along with greater scalability. “This partnership brings strategic leadership, strength and scalability to our existing digital infrastructure,” said Influence’s managing director, Chris Wilson. “This last year has led to increased demand for digital integration from our clients, and Noble Pixels is well ahead of the curve, allowing us to bolster our service offering with minimal friction.”
The Canadian Premier League has announced HelloFresh as its official meal kit delivery partner in a partnership negotiated by Canadian Soccer Business—a three-year-old unit dedicated to corporate partnerships, broadcast rights and stadium naming rights.
The partnership will see HelloFresh provide special offers to fans and season ticket holders, as well as “unique content pieces” showcasing summer recipes tailored to soccer families on the go.
HelloFresh also becomes an official partner of Canada Soccer’s Circle K Active Start Soccer Fests program, activating at events across the country by providing special offers for festival participants as well as on-site meal kit opportunities.
