Scotiabank is rolling out the welcome mat and helping newcomers settle in through the ties that bind: sports and food.

In the financial institution’s latest spot, “Perfect Morning,” two South Asian newcomers admit they finally feel at home in Canada when they discover samosas as good as those back in India, as well as some friends to watch cricket with at 5 a.m.

“Home is where the heart is, and we want to help new Canadians feel at home as soon as possible,” says John Rocco, vice-president of global brand management at Scotiabank.

Rocco points out that moving to a new country comes with a lot of stressors, so helping newcomers set up their finances right off the bat means that they can focus on the things to make home truly feel like home, like settling in, exploring their new neighbourhood and building community.

Sports can be a major factor in bringing people together, Rocco says. So cricket is the focus of the new spot, with one of the lead actors lending to the ad’s authenticity as a former player who contributed his own bat as a set prop.

Rocco tells strategy the spot ladders back up to the bank’s master brand, “You’re Richer Than You Think,” while putting the consumer at the heart of life and living.

“It’s sort of redefining what that richness is, and not that traditional dollars and cents of it but the richness of [their] lives,” Rocco says.

Between 2023 and 2025, Canada is expected to welcome 1.5 million newcomers. Thus, Rocco says that outreach to South Asian communities a significant opportunity for Scotiabank, and all institutions to acquire customers or encourage brand switching, but it’s also looking at other large newcomer groups as well.

The spot speaks to millions of new Canadians who are permanent residents, foreign workers or international students, and it’s a story, says Rocco, a second-generation Canadian himself, that originates from a truth that immigrants of all stripes can relate to.

This is Scotiabank’s third year highlighting new Canadians, and heroing its StartRight program, a package of cost-free products and services for one year that helps newcomers settle in.

The 30-second hero spot will run online and be shown in select Cineplex cinemas, as well as specialty TV. There are 15-second cutdowns running across digital media in English, French and Hinglish (a hybrid of Hindi and English). The campaign is also supported with 10-second cutdowns and animated OLVs in English and French, along with digital, social, print and DOOH/OOH creative.

PHD is handling media.