A new campaign from Bell Canada shows the big impact that small talk can have on well-being. The hero videos “Mini Dragons,” “Pickle Point” and “Sweet on Him” portray how casual conversation can provide comfort and feelings of connection.
The set of vignettes is informed by data about loneliness from creative partner Leo Toronto’s HumanKind Study and Bell research showing younger Canadians are benefiting less from real-time interaction as texting and social media become more prevalent.
“Our research shows that while Canadians are more connected than ever, many still feel isolated,” says Devorah Lithwick, SVP and chief brand officer at Bell Canada. “In a world where digital communication often feels one-sided, we’re encouraging people to rediscover the joy of real conversations and the meaningful connection they create.”
A “Call Me” emoji and “Calling Cards” with random topics of conversation have also been developed as further bridge builders to person-to-person interaction.
The campaign will run for two months in English and in French on national broadcast as well as radio and Spotify with supporting assets in social, OOH, display and newspapers. LG2 Montreal worked on the French version of the campaign and Media Experts assisted with media.
Bell research suggests that talking on the phone can improve well-being and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, particularly among millennial and Gen-Z populations, according to a news release.
And Leo’s 2024 HumanKind Study showed that 77% of Gen Z Canadians feel lonely at least sometimes – a number that falls to 57% among the general population.
“When we first saw the loneliness stat in our HumanKind research findings last year it was a real gut punch to be honest,” said Leo Toronto chief strategy officer Tahir Ahmad. “We all felt compelled to do something about it and Bell was the perfect partner to bring this issue to light and, more importantly, help to address it in some way.”
Ahmad recently collaborated with Leo senior strategist Dr. Sarah Carpentier for a deep dive into Leo’s 2025 HumanKind Study in a series for strategy.
