‘Tis the season, which means strategy will be posting all of the holiday greetings, seasonal missives, tech tools and idiosyncratic products Canadian agencies have created this year, as they come in.

Klick-ing with one another

Klick Health recognized that some people can’t connect with loves ones over the holidays, so it turned to AI to orchestrate a series of surprise reunions.

The creative features tear-jerking moments, including Toronto Klick Health program manager Fred Duarte getting a bear hug from his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil.

The work is informed by poll by Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick, which reveals that almost three quarters of North Americans won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. Geographical distance was the reason why 48% of respondents were not getting that hug, while 62% reported the person they wanted to hug passed away.

“There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” says Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday Hugs,’ we wanted to celebrate the profound connections that hugs create.”

“Holiday Hugs” was filmed in Klick’s in-house Studio K production facility, with original soundtrack by Canadian-Screen-Award-winner Antonio Naranjo.

The four-minute video, benefits the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC). For every view, Klick will donate $1 to the F4SC (up to $10,000).

Fuse Create unveils gallery, offers dystopian Christmas sweater prediction

As temperatures around the globe continue to rise due to climate change, Fuse Create warns that the classic holiday sweater may be a thing of the past.

So, the shop decided to reimagine what holiday “sweaters” will look like in 40 years if we don’t do something about it, unveiled its “Climate Change Collection,” a one-piece swimsuit and a pair of swim trunks, each crafted from vintage holiday sweaters.

Fuse thrifted and repurposed existing Christmas sweaters to lower the project’s carbon footprint, and got a local designer Sarah Mathieson to sew the work.

“Our collection invites people to think about how a holiday tradition might disappear, in a way that’s sustainable and forward-thinking,” says Linda Carte, creative director at Fuse Create.

It is also engaging with the David Suzuki Foundation, to help raise funds for their cause.

To invite the community to be part of the conversation, Fuse Create will display the pieces in their storefront window at their office at 45 Ossington Avenue. Passersby can view the display and donate directly to the cause by scanning a QR code featured in the window.