Telus is another in a long line of brands release an encouraging message during the COVID-19 crisis with a new campaign showing people coping with isolation in different ways while maintaining physical distance.
The “#StayStrongStayConnected” creative urges people to keep up their morale and “stay” moving, learning, giving and safe, with people improvising exercises and skateboard tricks on balconies, but also by connecting socially through glass barriers or digital collaborations. While most new creative produced in recent weeks has utilized stock and pre-existing footage for ads, this campaign – created by The Greenhouse – takes more of a home video approach, which will be continued in the coming weeks to include more footage from “#StayStrongStayConnected” user generated content on social media (The Greenhouse is a joint effort between Cossette, Cossette Media and The &Partnership).
Denise Bombier, director of brand marketing and social media at Telus, says while the telco’s networks facilitate connections, it is the humanity in the connections that is the most important. She says the brand was “inspired by the creativity, the ingenuity and the positivity we saw in the way people were staying connected.”
Previously, Telus has shown the way its network facilitates things like outreach to curb bullying through its #EndBullying campaign, or online docs that highlight the social causes Telus contributes to, tackling subjects like the environment and connected living.
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Bombier say the campaign was designed to rally the country, and adds this is not a time for brands to “compete” for attention; rather, Telus believes there is an opportunity for brands is to use their voice to support their country, their customers and their staff.
She tells strategy that from the first script to finished videos in both English and French, the process took only three days, with content shot by people at home. The brand selected the song, by indie artist Alana Yorke, because musicians are also “feeling the hit right now,” so it was important to elevate a local, up-and-coming Canadian artist, Bombier says. The French language version features Quebec artist Ariane Moffatt offering a live presentation in the opening and closing scenes. Bombier says the buzz around the Quebec collaboration resulted in Moffatt being featured on the morning show “Salut Bonjour.”
The new video was shared on Telus’ social media channels last week, and the telco is using media dollars previously allocated to advertising its products and services to expand the reach of the video across Canada and will also be sharing on ad avails through Telus’ OTT Optik TV in B.C., Alberta and Quebec.
Telus is also donating $10 million to help urgently support and enhance public healthcare capacity and community response across Canada through its Telus Friendly Future Foundation.
Today, Telus also launched a new “Internet for Good” program for students, offering high speed internet at home for $9.95 per month and working with local school boards to ensure all students get high speed access to the internet to continue learning remotely, helping to address the issue of the need for a high speed internet connection making remote public education inaccessible to some families.
