In the midst of tournament season, Curling Canada is launching a campaign to show sports fans and newcomers how much is on the line for the athletes at competitions.

The campaign, “A stone’s throw from victory,” includes a 30-second video that focus on the intensity of the game and how it can all come down to a single throw. The video shows a professional curler Kerri Einarson throwing a stone across the ice, while highlighting her training for the competition.

The video will air on TV, both nationally on TSN and regionally on CTV. The media plan also includes DOOH ads, spots on various local radio stations and social media. Cossette handles media buying and creative. According to the agency, the ad spend year over year remains the same.

Curling launches “A stone’s throw from victory” at the same time as the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is being held at the WinSport Event Center in Calgary. The sport association has other tournaments scheduled this year, including the BKT World Women’s Curling Championship and the Montana’s Brier.

“Curling Canada’s media strategy is focused on an integrated approach that leverages close partnerships with local media in the cities where the events are taking place,” a spokesperson from Cossette said. “Connecting with local vendors allowed it to create a platform that builds awareness of the tournament months in advance. The approach leverages both traditional and digital platforms in order to maximize our reach in the host cities as well as surrounding markets located near the host cities.”

Broadcast and digital kicked off the campaign, but as the events near, additional tactics will round out their media mix with local out-of-home creating excitement and a visual presence in the community. This was combined with targeted digital placements focused on ticket sales.

Nolan Thiesson, CEO of Curling Canada, said the new campaign represents a change of direction for the company, as they had “relied a lot on humour in the past. This year we wanted a shift in tone.”

“The Season of Champions is no joke. It’s an important moment for these athletes – they put in so much work to get to that moment – and we wanted to give them the recognition they deserve.”

The campaign comes after Curling inked a sponsorship deal with Days Inn last month. The partnership includes Days Inn-branded rink boards at various tournaments this year. The hotel chain is also setting up in-venue kiosks at the Scotties Tournament and Montana’s Brier event, and running digital, social and print ads.