Quebec’s advertising charity bec has launched a new web series rolling out throughout the coming month that uses animated videos to show how its programs and services have helped the province’s marketing and advertising professionals.
Developed by Tam-Tam\TBWA, “Reanimated” is comprised of three 90-second videos, each using a different Quebec animation specialist to tell the stories of industry professionals and how they’ve benefited from various bec programs. Each video uses actual testimonials from people who’ve been helped by bec. (See the landing page here).
Bec first approached Tam-Tam\TBWA in 2020 seeking help to increase its awareness among younger industry professionals, with a particular emphasis on boosting knowledge of its wide array of services beyond mental health assistance.
According to its 2021 impact report, bec helped more than 4,000 industry professionals last year, including more than 450 career cases and more than 105,000 hours logged on its helpline. However, the organization found that only half of the province’s marcom employees think of bec in times of need, largely because they are unaware of the breadth and depth of its services.
Each of the three videos speaks to how bec helped industry members navigate various professional and personal challenges, telling their story using bright, colourful animation from Quebec illustrators.
One of the chief challenges for bec was breaking through with industry professionals who spend much of their time saturated in advertising culture, which is why the organization opted to use animation as the primary communication tool.
The animation approach was used to ensure that the spots are inclusive and relatable, with everyone seeing themselves in the video portrayals, said bec’s Garance Philippe. “Mental health is not meant to be a stock photo of someone holding their head,” she said. “A happy consequence of having the animation is that it’s light and bright, and invites people in. It’s not a dark picture of a tortured soul.”
The creative approach was also specifically intended to break through with younger professionals, and women in particular, as well as people working in the industry beyond creatives and those working in larger agencies.
The first video “Reinforcements Are Coming,” was introduced today (Oct. 31), with the second following on Nov. 14 and the third on Nov. 28. The launch video, featuring animation by Mathilde Corbeil, features the testimonial of a HR professional talking about the challenges arising from helping colleagues experiencing mental challenges, in which she likens her role to that of a lifeguard scanning a pool looking for people in distress.
In the voiceover, she explains that as an HR specialist, she was ill-equipped to help people with mental health challenges, but bec provided a vital lifeline. The second video focuses on someone who went through a career change, while the third video speaks to how bec helped them navigate a tough break-up.
“Combining the talent and generosity of our teams, Tam-Tam is proud to contribute to the influence of nabs-bec in our community,” said Tam-Tam\TWBA president and CEO François Canuel in a release. “An involvement aligned with our brand DNA and marked by this great concern to be all collectively responsible for the well-being of our precious artisans.”
“As the only national not-for-profit organization for professionals in the advertising, marketing and media sector in Canada, the duo has always had the mission of supporting and offering services to people who face issues like serious illness, prolonged unemployment or other difficult and unexpected situations,” said nabs-bec senior director Rosetta Heckhausen. “Launching this new awareness campaign, led by the bec team and created by our friends at Tam-Tam\TBWA, will allow more of our colleagues to know that they can count on us.”
