The Vancouver-based Canadian Tourism Commission wanted to increase the number of U.S. tourists visiting Canada, which has been declining in recent years, and counteract the perception of Canada as being dull. The solution? OMD Vancouver set polar bears on the growl in Manhattan. In the summer.

Goal

To generate awareness of what Canada has to offer tourists, and inspire the target to visit.

Target consumer

Well-educated, urban American consumers with

higher-than-average incomes.

Insight and strategy

The desire was to do something unexpected, but the regulatory environment in New York City makes street-level promotions difficult, and special permits, if even approved, can be expensive. The OMD Vancouver team needed to grab attention without invading sidewalk space.

The plan

Three storefronts in high-traffic locations in Manhattan were wrapped in vinyl posters. The imagery featured uniquely Canadian experiences paired with a technology called Whispering Windows, which allows windows to act as speakers, emitting ambient soundtracks to match the visuals.

For example, the image of a polar bear was paired with a soundtrack that included a tundra buggy driving over snow and the reaction of tourists as the polar bear approaches. Street teams were also deployed onsite to further engage consumers.

Because the soundtrack originated from the storefront, there was no need for special permits.

Results

Post-campaign tracking indicated that consumers were reporting a higher recall of Canada, and there has been a 9% cumulative positive influence on visits to Canada overall.

Credits

OMD Vancouver: Erin McWhinnie, strategy supervisor

DDB Vancouver: Nora Ahern, group account director; Kathleen Drennan, account director

CTC: Ernst Flach, marketing manager, Americas; Siobhan Chretien, executive director, Americas.

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