Fido is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new platform that connects the brand’s commitment to affordability and service to its history of support for diverse communities.

“From the beginning, Fido has always provided customers with easy, affordable and value-packed solutions, while also trying to do our part to champion positive social change,” says Nancy Thomas, VP of Fido Brand. “Fido is the ultimate sidekick – always ‘at your side’ – and this has been part of our DNA since day one.”

One spot in the campaign shows a pair of women who find a bear has invaded their cabin in the woods. As they utilize Fido’s network to help them through the situation, they quickly find themselves down a rabbit hole of more and more animal facts, during which the bear wanders away on its own.

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The “At Your Side” platform refers both to the kind of service it provides its customers, but also the fact that it has been “on the side” of different, diverse communities of customers. Fido has built diverse messaging into its brand for years, including support for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. The brand has been especially vocal about this during the pandemic, supporting musicians from those groups ahead of the Grammys and showcasing the flags of each individual community within the LGBTQ+ diaspora for Pride – an event it has sponsored in Toronto since 2016.

While that socially progressive messaging isn’t as explicit in the new campaign, the brand feels it is implicit in the tagline. Meanwhile, more localized insights are driving the specific messaging that appears within each region in Canada. Also present in the messaging is Fido’s usual cheeky brand voice.

“We wanted to leverage Fido’s approachable tone and humour in a way that made us regionally relevant,” explains Thomas. “The campaign uses customized messaging to connect with customers in a relevant manner. … We combined local market insights with local media buying strategies to bring the campaign to life in a meaningful way.”

The campaign, which was developed with dedicated Rogers agency Theo, incorporates both localized TV and OOH executions that feature the brand’s instantly recognizable mascot, Jack the dog.

In addition, the brand has partnered with CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions to launch a weekly branded content series online at ICI’s Tou.tv. The series is created specifically for the Quebec audience and its final episode will air during ByeBye, Radio-Canada’s traditional New Year’s Eve sketch comedy special.

The campaign will be in market until Dec. 31.