By Jonathan Russell
The video at the heart of Canadian Tire’s new Olympic campaign revolves around the idea of the endless possibilities that can be realized in pursuit of sports glory.
The campaign’s 30-second spot, titled “Next Legend,” features a toddler lying in a crib, smiling and following a gently spinning mobile comprising of a soccer ball, volleyball, tennis ball and basketball. As a sportscaster provides voiceover, the soundtrack is a lullaby version of the iconic sports anthem “Eye of the Tiger.”
The video is the centre of Canadian Tire’s “Believe in Her” campaign, which is scheduled to launch on July 26, the same day that the 2024 Paris Olympics kick off.
“With so much noise during the Olympics, that is mostly fueled by performance or patriotism, we wanted to take a bit of a different approach to bring the (Women’s Sport Initiative) to life,” says Leo Burnett creative director Andrew Hart. “We focused on a baby in a nursery to demonstrate all the possibilities she can achieve, while giving consumers a story that would feel compelling and breakthrough during this time.”
Canadian Tire announced its Women’s Sport Initiative (WSI) in 2023, a multi-million-dollar investment that earmarks at least 50% of its sponsorship dollars towards women’s professional sports by 2026. It also includes a dedicated media fund to increase the visibility of women’s sports across platforms.
The campaign arrives in time for the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will be the first Games to feature an equal number of male and female athletes. Through its WSI, Canadian Tire became the first Canadian company to make a 50/50 sponsorship commitment in women’s professional sports.
“Next Legend” is just one piece of the puzzle. The “Believe in Her” campaign also includes media integrations with CBC, TikTok and sports media company The Gist, which shares the brand’s commitment to equitable sports coverage.
As part of the campaign, CBC will highlight the top sports moments for Canada’s female athletes as they play out during the Paris 2024 Olympics. The TikTok program reprises the viral “How It Started vs. How It’s Going” trend to tell the origin story of Canadian Tire partner Olympians and Paralympians. Featured athletes include pro basketball players Aaliyah Edwards and Kia Nurse, Paralympic swimmer Aurélie Rivard, synchronized swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau and taekwondo athlete Skylar Park.
Jonathan Anderson, associate vice-president of strategic marketing for Canadian Tire, says the current campaign lives within the brand’s “We All Play For Canada” platform, that originally launched in 2013. Canadian Tire’s first Team Canada partnership was formed in the same year.
“We are so proud to celebrate both our partnership with Team Canada and our long-standing commitment to a more equitable sports landscape in Canada,” Anderson says. “Our campaign establishes a clear role and message for our brand, and an opportunity to authentically connect the games back to our purpose – we are here to make life in Canada better.”
For Canadian Tire, the “Believe in Her campaign” reflects the brand’s focus on driving positive change, from playground to podium.
“We’re stronger, as a community and country, when we have an equal opportunity to believe in and realize our dreams,” Anderson says.
The current 360 marketing campaign was developed in partnership with Canadian Tire Digital Media, Leo Burnett (creative) Touché (media) and Veritas (PR and influencer).
