Who: Doctors Nova Scotia Healthy Tomorrow Foundation, with Arrivals + Departures (Halifax) for creative and Accomplice Content Supply Co. for production.

What: A new wave of advertising in the organization’s nearly two-year-old “Make Your Move” campaign, encouraging the province’s residents to move more throughout the day. First introduced in 2020, the campaign is primarily aimed at women 40 to 60, a segment of the population that is not only among the province’s most inactive, but has influence with family and friends.

When & Where: The ads launched early this month across broadcast (with a specific focus on daytime and news programming), supported by social and digital display, transit advertising in Halifax, Sydney and Kentville, and some out-of-home in select arena and curling facilities. The creative drives to MakeYourMoveNS.ca, an online resource containing an overview of the program and an invitation for community partners to download a “Make Your Move at Work Toolkit” that includes T-shirts and printable stickers/decals (pictured).

Why: Doctors Nova Scotia launched the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation in 2018 with a mission to “create a happy and healthy tomorrow for all Nova Scotians through movement.” Its ultimate goal is to bring about what it describes as “a cultural shift in Nova Scotia where movement becomes part of our everyday lives.”

That mission has taken on added significance during the pandemic, which has led to people being cooped up inside for the best part of two years.

How: The campaign is anchored by three video ads featuring a purple tracksuit-clad “Congratulator”—played by Halifax-based filmmaker, playwright and actress Tara Taylor—surprising Nova Scotians engaged in ordinary physical activities.

In one of three 15-second spots, Taylor surprises a woman raking leaves, loudly congratulating her through a bullhorn. Other spots show her holding up a congratulatory sign for a woman who has parked her car at the back of the parking lot, and shooting off a confetti cannon behind three women making their way along a trail.

Martin Delaney, president and chief strategist for A+D in Halifax, said the goal is to make the idea of movement and exercise more approachable and relatable. “When people think about physical activity, they think about going to the gym, going on a treadmill, going on a run, etc.,” he said. “It has this high-energy expectation, and this is about reframing that to be about getting out and moving more just for the joy of movement. That can be something really simple like going for a walk around the block, getting off the bus a couple of stops early, or doing some yard work.”

And we quote: “‘Make Your Move’ aims to make movement powerfully and immediately accessible to everybody, because the best piece of exercise equipment ever invented is you. Every move counts; and when we move even a little more, we improve our overall wellness, and more importantly, we feel better.” —Kerry Copeland, executive director, Healthy Tomorrow Foundation