In an innovative attempt to showcase its commitment to urban living, IKEA joined forces with creative agency Rethink to launch a groundbreaking campaign that transformed real homes and real people into living billboards across Toronto. By seamlessly integrating its iconic brand assets, such as the logo and catalogue price call-outs, IKEA demonstrated its ability to enhance and maximize the potential of city living. Through strategically placed out-of-home (OOH) advertisements and clever utilization of familiar wayfinding arrows, the campaign not only captured the attention of Torontonians but also provided an authentic and immersive experience for downtown dwellers.

Unveiling a New Perspective:
The idea behind IKEA’s “made for downtown living” campaign was to dispel any skepticism and demonstrate the brand’s deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities associated with city life. Instead of relying solely on traditional advertising methods, the Swedish furniture giant decided to go beyond the confines of billboards and magazines. By transforming actual homes into living ads, IKEA presented a fresh perspective, allowing passersby to glimpse into the world of potential that the brand could unlock for their own living spaces.

Bringing IKEA to Life:
The OOH campaign strategically enveloped the city on well-traveled routes and targeted locations close to the downtown store. This deliberate placement ensured that Torontonians would encounter the living billboards during their daily routines, seamlessly merging IKEA’s offerings with their urban experience. By leveraging the brand’s iconic wayfinding arrows, the campaign provided an authentic navigation guide for residents, leading them to the IKEA store while incorporating elements that mirrored their everyday downtown encounters.

Embracing the Authenticity of Downtown Living:
In a city bustling with diverse lifestyles and design aesthetics, IKEA recognized the importance of capturing the essence of downtown living. By utilizing real homes and real people as billboards, the campaign showcased the brand’s commitment to authenticity. Rather than using polished models in sterile environments, IKEA chose relatable individuals and homes that reflected the vibrant spirit of urban life. This approach resonated with Torontonians, who could envision the possibilities that IKEA’s products and solutions offered within their own unique living spaces.

Empowering City Dwellers:
The “made for downtown living” campaign empowered downtown dwellers by encouraging them to reimagine their living spaces and discover the transformative potential of IKEA products. By showcasing the diverse range of possibilities, from small space solutions to multi-functional furniture, the campaign demonstrated that IKEA understood the specific needs and challenges faced by urban residents. It inspired Torontonians to turn their homes into personalized sanctuaries that reflected their individual styles and maximized every inch of space available.

Conclusion:
IKEA’s innovative campaign in Toronto successfully challenged the traditional norms of advertising and transformed the city itself into a canvas for showcasing the brand’s commitment to downtown living. By converting real homes into living billboards and utilizing familiar wayfinding arrows, IKEA seamlessly integrated its iconic brand assets into the urban landscape, capturing the attention and imagination of Torontonians. This unique approach not only demonstrated IKEA’s understanding of the diverse needs of city dwellers but also empowered individuals to envision and create personalized living spaces that reflected their unique lifestyles. Through this campaign, IKEA reinforced its position as a brand that is truly “made for downtown living.”

Credits
Campaign: IKEA Window Shopping
Agency: Rethink
Brand: IKEA

Tags:
IKEA, Toronto living, downtown life, urban living, home transformation, innovative advertising, living billboards, interior design inspiration, small space solutions, IKEA store, city lifestyle, authentic living, creative campaign, home decor ideas, Toronto culture, inspiring homes, design enthusiasts, modern living

Domestic violence cases peaked during the pandemic as most victims were trapped with abusive partners. One of the hardest things to do in such situations is to get help without hinting at the abuser, as any indication of the victim getting help or looking for opportunities to escape will lead to more violence.

What if smart speakers like Google Home can help rescue victims of domestic abuse? Google partners with BWSS (Battered Women Support Service) to create custom safe word commands for all smart speakers. The assistant will be triggered as soon as the safe word is used and will alert the BWSS hotline for help. For the legitimacy of each alert, it will also record the live conversation from the moment the safe word is used.

This is SPEC WORK and has not been commissioned by the brand. It has recently won a Silver Cube at Young Ones ADC and was also shortlisted for ANDY Awards.

Credits
Advertised brand: Google
Advertising Agency: Miami Ad School, Toronto, Canada
Creative Director: Zachary Bautista
Art Director: Divya Jain
Copywriter: Sweekriti Chand
Tags: Google Safe Home, Interactive, Craft in Online, Mobile

HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was, but HIV stigma lives on. Myths persist about how the disease is spread—through saliva, food, and drink. When polled, 50% of Canadians said they wouldn’t knowingly eat a meal prepared by someone with HIV.
 
 

Casey House wanted to challenge this ignorance with truth and compassion. And so the idea for a pop-up restaurant was born: June’s, the first-ever HIV-positive eatery. 14 people with HIV became something more than just their disease—they became chefs. For three nights, they chopped, sliced, and sautéed under the watchful eye of head chef Matt Basile. Together, they invited patrons to smash stigma by breaking bread and swallow the prejudice condemning so many HIV-positive people to suffer in silence.

Credits
Client: Casey House
Campaign: Break Bread Smash Stigma
Advertising Agency: Bensimon Byrne
Category: Public Interest, NGO
Production Company: Button Factory
Medium: Experiential advertising
Tags: HIV, AIDS, Stigma, Public Health Agency, Canada, Toronto, June’s Eatery

Every time an artist uses a song from the Parkscapes album, all the licensing fees, royalties, and residuals will be paid directly to the RPSM to fund musical education.

Frank reached out to Taylor Swift with the samples, and she instantly loved the music and the noble cause behind it. Taylor swift’s song, It’s nice to have a friend uses a composition from the Parkscapes album.

This turned out to be a great way to fund musical education at RPSM. This also gives the power of self-sufficiency to the school, instead of dwelling on free donations.

 

 
Credits
Campaign: Sample School
Album Title: Parkscapes
Client: Regent Park School of Music
Jasper Gahunia, Faculty, Regent Park School of Music
Wes Allen, Faculty, Regent Park School of Music
Richard Marsella, Executive Director, Regent Park School of Music
Jane O’ Hare, Executive Director, Regent Park School of Music Foundation
Composer: Frank Dukes
Agency: BBDO Toronto
Chief Creative Officer: Todd Mackie
Chief Creative Officer: Denise Rossetto
Associate Creative Director: Rana Chatterjee
Associate Creative Director: Jeff Cheung
Sr. Designer: Mike Nugent
SVP, Planning: Tom Kenny
Group Account Director: Tania Montemarano
Account Supervisor: Sagi Mamalider
Director, Data Analytics and Insights: Curtis Rushing
PR: Shannon Stephaniuk, Glossy
Production Company: Flare BBDO Toronto
Executive Producer: David Lembke
Director: Jordan Dashner
Director of Photography: Luke McCutchenson
Audio: Stuart McLean
Post/Editor: Ted Husband

Credits
Advertising Agency: DentsuBos, Toronto, Canada
Campaign: All-Terrain Envelope
Brand: Lexus

We created a set of 21” x 36” esca board posters, each featuring a shape of an object that a kid would desire…like a musical instrument, video game, toy and electronic accessory.

We created the shape of each item on our posters using custom coin grids, then I-Cut the coin shapes to fit the different coins circulating in Canada.

We determined how much it would take to actually buy each object, then designed each poster to visually depicted the total number of coins a kid would need to insert in the poster to buy their chosen item.

1000 posters were handed out to parents and kids in just over five hours. Parents that initially refused to take a poster, came back to take one after considering the actual benefit for their kids. As a campaign, TD’s Financial Literacy initiative saw a 100% increase in web traffic to td.com/kidsandmoney.

Source

Credits:
Brand: TD Bank
Campaign: Coin Poster
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Toronto, Canada
Creative Supervisor: Ben Tarr, Judy John, Lisa Greenberg, Chris Munnik, Kerry Reynolds
Writer: Dave Thornhill
Art Direction: Dejan Djuric
Design: Dejan Djuric
Digital Development: Alex Dabic
Production: Alex Postans, Flash Reproductions
Print Production: Gord Cathmoir, Kevin Stephen, Barry Durocher
Account Direction: Laurie Freeman, Brian Poleck, Genevieve Cote, Brandon Sellers, Brittany Valevicius
Strategy: Brent Nelsen

Tags:
Direct Marketing, Design and Banking, Financial Services, Leo Burnett, Toronto, Canada, Print Campaign, Print Ad, Creative Advert