Mark’s is sharing the Canadian fondness for discussing the weather in a new campaign assuring customers it has the apparel and footwear that meets their needs.

“The Beauty of Being Here,” is a campaign that highlights different climates across the country, be it the rain in Vancouver, the misty ferries of Atlantic Canada or the high highs and low lows of temperatures in Calgary. But it also looks at other “environments” people find themselves in, be they Hamiltonian construction workers building a home or people enjoying music in St. John’s.

As part of its brand promise focusing on “all things simple,” Mark’s is zeroing in on the numerous, but specific, realities Canadians have to dress for depending on where they live, work and explore, something the Mark’s also examined in its fall campaign about its casual wear.

Sean Goodwin, VP of strategic marketing at Mark’s, tells strategy the retailer understands that for Canadians, life is busy, and that it wants to be a simple destination for apparel and footwear shoppers. It’s about understanding that communications can get cloudy sometimes, Goodwin says, and Mark’s wants to make sure it’s “poignant and to the point” about its offerings.

For this campaign, that means showing that Mark’s is a Canadian brand and retailer, which understands life and weather everywhere, operating in 380 markets.

Over the last two years, the retailer has focused more on assortment messaging, but Goodwin acknowledges it is one of the few remaining Canadian-born national retailers. “[The campaign] is not necessary Canadiana-proud, but that we understand life in Canada,” Goodwin explains, adding that it operates in a lot of markets many of its competitors do not.

According to Goodwin, it is seeking aligned values and expectations rather than a specific demographic but generally, targets busy time-starved families by providing them clothing staples.

Campaign elements include TV ads, online videos, social content featuring testimonials from locals, influencer content and media partnerships.

According to Goodwin, Mark’s has a 50/50 blend between traditional TV and digital, and is “really leaning heavily” into connected TV, which has been a real driver of success over the last 18 months. Mark’s is doing more creator partnerships as well.

Parent Canadian Tire just launched its paid subscription program, Triangle Select, as part of its larger ambitions about growing the company’s loyalty offering.

“We know that our customers shares a lot of values and expectations with the CTR customer,”  Goodwin says, and incorporating Triangle Rewards into its messaging gives Mark’s a unique advantage to better connect with consumers. “We have a large, loyal membership in the Triangle ecosystem.”

Creative is by Cartier, Media is by Touché and Canadian Tire Digital Operations. Public relations is by Veritas Communications. Ad spend is marginally higher than in previous years to ensure recall and brand effectiveness, Goodwin says.