While walking through some Toronto subway stations you might get the feeling that you’re lost in the woods. Thank HGTV and its new campaign to promote cottage-themed series Sarah’s Cottage and Disaster DIY: Cottage Edition.
With the tagline ‘Your Favourite Hosts are Heading to Cottage Country,’ the Toronto campaign features ads on TTC and GO platforms, as well as tree decals on some platforms to give them that cottage feel. Print ads promoting the shows appear in the Toronto Star, Metro, the National Post and other major dailies across the country. Online versions of the ads appear on CanWest websites, and HGTV has launched microsites to promote the shows (Hgtv.ca/sarahscottage and Hgtv.ca/disastersdiy). The campaign targets adults 25 to 54, skewing slightly female.
The Vancouver campaign is just promoting Disaster DIY. The strategy is to raise awareness of the show’s host, one-time Vancouver resident Brian Baulmer. The ad push entails buses, LRT platforms and billboards, as well as a 30-second radio spot. Additionally, strategically timed IPG ads will remind people that the show is on that night. There will also be Lowe’s-sponsored on-air promotions.
Both campaigns began March 23 and will run for four weeks. The creative and the media purchasing were handled in-house. Sarah’s Cottage airs Tuesdays at 9 pm and Disaster DIY: Cottage Edition debuts Thursday April 2 at 9 pm.
