With its first rebrand in 17 years, Bell is aiming to highlight the human side of communication in an increasingly digital world through its new “Connection is Everything” platform.
The brand refresh launched Tuesday, Oct. 14, with an integrated campaign that celebrates the emotional side of staying connected.
The first phase, featuring OOH boards and 15-second TV and online spots by Zulu Alpha Kilo, highlights simple moments of connection. A LG2-led two-minute cinematic video featuring a reimagined version of the Bill Withers classic “Lean on Me,” also premiered Tuesday as the crux of the campaign’s second phase on TV, OLV and socials.
“Connection is Everything” replaces “Today Just Got Better,” which has anchored Bell’s brand since its 2008 launch to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. The shift, says Devorah Lithwick, Bell Canada’s SVP and chief brand officer, reflects both a new corporate purpose and a desire to show a more human face.
“Technology has evolved over the last 17 years and I think consumers, and we as a society, have changed in terms of how we interact, and we felt it was the right time to more align with our purpose,” Lithwick tells strategy. “Our old tagline served us very well, but ‘Connection is Everything’ seemed to really fit the bill in terms of our ability to speak to not just the technology but also the human connection that we as an organization enable.”
The human connection element has long been a touchpoint of Bell’s “Let’s Talk” mental-health initiatives, including a May campaign calling for a return to real-time conversation.
The theme carries through the refreshed visual identity, led in collaboration with Bell’s AOR roster of Zulu Alpha Kilo, LG2, Leo Burnett, Blache & Yong and Jam. The new design system introduces a simplified ‘Blue B,’ what Lithwick says is being called the “SymBell,” that can be used as a stand-alone mark or as a container for full-bleed photography and video. Those elements are supported by a modernized colour palette and typography.
The aim, Lithwick says, was to create a visual language that feels warmer, more flexible and more expressive across channels.
“Some of our research showed we were perceived as a bit cold,” she adds. “So we had an opportunity to just warm up our visual templating platform and better leverage today’s technology and what we have at our fingertips to be more relevant in mediums that didn’t exist 17 years ago in the performance of social media and digital, for example.”
The “Connection is Everything” platform was built through close collaboration between Bell’s long-standing agency partners, relationships that, in some cases, date back nearly two decades.
“I think that sort of loyalty and partnership is quite unique in the Canadian market,” Lithwick says. “And it’s just wonderful. It’s not an ego-based arrangement. They’re all invested in doing what the right thing is for Bell.”
Media Experts worked with Bell’s internal team on the campaign’s digital buys, while Bell Media managed owned inventory.
Lithwick says the platform will guide Bell’s brand and customer experience work for years to come, with success measured not only in brand favourability but in net promoter score (measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction) and the company’s ability to deliver relevant and emotionally resonant creative over time.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, when it comes to connection, our performance with our customers is the most meaningful,” Lithwick says, adding she believes the platform has the potential to last at least another decade. “I’d say it serves us well now and into the future and for our plans within the market.”
