Rona’s latest national campaign is based around the national pastime, with the home-renovation retailer focusing in on how it can help repair the damage that hockey players often inflict on a home.

Set to Nazareth’s ’70s earworm “Love Hurts,” the hero spot by agency partner Courage shows kids playing (and damaging) statues, bannisters and household appliances, acknowledging in a tagline that “the game we love is hard on the home.”

“Hockey is more than a sport in Canada, it’s a part of our culture and our homes,” says Catherine Laporte, who was appointed as the chief digital and marketing officer at Rona in July. “This campaign reflects our commitment to understanding what matters most to Canadians.”

Laporte says the brand connects with customers in a meaningful and impactful way by tapping into consumers’ shared passions.

“It’s not just creative, it’s a declaration that we see and know Canadians.”

Anchored by a hero film and supported by a 360-degree campaign across OOH, radio and social, the work was timed to coincide with the new NHL season and highlights the intersection of hockey and home.

“This campaign was directly inspired by my childhood,” said Jesse Wilks, creative director at Courage. “When my siblings and I were not playing hockey at various arenas across Ontario, we were playing it at home.”

By drawing on insights from childhood memories and fandom rituals, the agency says the campaign demonstrates how the retailer can resonate with its audience on a deeply personal level.

“We wanted this piece to hit home with Canadians,” said Gerardo Agbuya, creative director at Courage. “So instead of stylized camera moves, the camera is essentially a fly on the wall, observing moments that only Canadians would recognize.”

The campaign, which is an expansion of the “Build It Right. Build It Rona” brand platform, includes a media buy by Cossette Media.