Talk isn’t cheap when it’s with someone special, particularly if it’s someone like Barack Obama, or the Dalai Lama. In that spirit, Wind Mobile wants to help Canadians have their best conversation ever. Building on its ‘Power of Conversation’ platform, the telco launched a contest yesterday that’s calling on consumers to reveal who they want to speak to most in the world, and why, so it can make it happen for five lucky winners.
Developed and led by Toronto-based Narrative Advocacy Media, the effort kicked off with an event held at Ryerson University, which featured Anthony Lacavera, chairman, Wind Mobile, sitting down for a chat with someone he really wanted to talk to, mountain climber Aron Ralston. He’s the gent who was forced to cut off his own arm following a climbing accident, and on whom the film 127 Hours (starring James Franco) is based.
‘From the very beginning, Wind Mobile has been about harnessing the power of conversation to make things better in wireless,’ says Lacavera. ‘‘Best Conversation Ever’ is designed to give Canadians a new and unprecedented way to experience that power on a bigger scale.’
Wind has partnered with CTV to help promote the contest, which will be integrated into segments on Etalk, Off the Record and BNN. A 30-second spot, developed by Wind AOR Clean Sheet, will also be featured on the network, airing during CTV shows including Canada AM. Starcom Mediavest handled the campaign’s media.
The contest will also be promoted on Facebook and Twitter and, with the help of NewAd, by activation teams visiting universities and malls in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa, where they will set up ‘Conversation Lounges’ to encourage people to enter.
‘The number one objective was to create a really big idea that people would want to talk about – not just because it’s Wind Mobile, but because it’s actually a profoundly unique question that really gets Canadians thinking – and support it with the right channels and media weight behind it,’ says Lindsay Mattick Davidson, director of public relations, Narrative Advocacy Media.
Participants can upload their submissions to Bestconversationever.ca and share them with their social networks. A panel of judges – including Lacavera, Wind Mobile president Ken Campbell and five industry bloggers – will determine the winners.
To facilitate the conversations, Wind will donate $100,000 on behalf of each chosen personality to the Canadian charity of their choice. An additional $100,000 will be given to the six most popular charities as voted for online by site visitors, who can also vote for their favourite entries for the chance to win $100 Ticketmaster gift cards. The contest will run until March 7.
