The objective of ParticipACTION’s latest efforts is to have youth move away from the television and become more active outside. So it introduced an application that’s mobile-friendly and lists examples of games that parents can play with their children, allowing users to access the content exactly where the games can be played, outdoors.
The “Bring Back Play” application is a hub for the initiative, which is being supported with television spots (placed by Cossette) during primetime music-related programming such as The Voice, Glee and American Idol, as well as on targeted specialty channels on Corus, Shaw and Bell Media networks. Print media is also in the mix, with the media agency purchasing ad space in provincial and community newspapers, and across premium sites targeted at women ages 35-to-54 with kids, as well as on Google, Facebook and YouTube. All of the creative for the campaign was handled by JWT, while Hambley & Woolley developed the web-based app.
The application provides parents with the opportunity to submit ideas for games they once played as a child, for others to teach their own. At press time, the app featured 20 different games uploaded by the organization.
“It’s a way for parents to fondly recall the games they used to play,” Kelly Murumets, president and CEO, ParticipACTION, tells MiC of the app that also has ratings and the ability to share through social networks and email. “We wanted something that was easy, fast, not expensive, something that parents could actually use with their kids, that plays off of nostalgia and keeps their kids active.”
Prior to the launch, Muruments notes that the organization prepared with pre-campaign research, and will conduct comprehensive mid- and post-research as the television advertising is planned to run for the next year-and-a-half and may require relocation depending on results. “We’re putting it out there for 18 months so that moms have the opportunity to really hear it, absorb and understand it, and hopefully act on it,” she adds. “Our overall goal is to inspire moms to inspire their kids to be physically active.”
