RBC is visiting communities across Canada on their “Hometown Champions Cheer Tour” in London-style cabs equipped with video cameras and a touch-screen that allows Canadians to search and send a cheer to athletes from their hometown, or to Team Canada as a whole.

The three-month activation launched late last week in partnership with TrojanOne, and is the long-standing sponsor’s most extensive marketing activation for an international event yet, Kerry Fleiser, senior manager, brand marketing, RBC, tells MiC.

The brand decided to start the activation now, weeks prior to the Olympics, to capitalize on the halo that was cast after Canada’s successful run in the 2010 Vancouver Games, she says. RBC is banking on heightening Canadian’s appetite to support the 2012 Games by building its Olympic presence in communities across Canada.

The program differentiates the brand from other Olympic sponsors by playing on the element of hometown heroes, “because we know that Canadians would have even more of a desire to participate and connect if they knew [that an athlete] from their area was actually going to the Games,” she says.

RBC is promoting the tour with a broadcast and online media buy, planned by M2 Universal with creative by BBDO, primarily through CTVolympics.ca for the duration of the Games.

Canadians who can’t make a cheer tour stop are being invited to upload their message directly to RBC’s Facebook app.