Buildings and bridges didn’t just appear fully formed; they were built by skilled trades. That’s the message of a new OOH campaign from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Toronto-based agency Feast Interactive. While investing in OOH is typical for the ESDC, according to Feast, this campaign is more direct than usual.

“By using simple yet powerful copy, the campaign focuses on the emotional impact of the skilled trades, highlighting that everything around us is built by skilled trades,” explains Lucia Mariani, chief strategy officer at Feast Interactive. “Ultimately, our goal was to create a strong emotional connection with the audience while promoting careers in the skilled trades and increasing awareness of the government resources available on their website.”

Mariani says that the campaign is meant to target youth and young adults by positioning skilled trades as a first-choice career path and raising awareness of the Government of Canada’s resources, funding and opportunities in the field. “The simple messaging – ‘This building/bridge is made by skilled trades’ – is designed to resonate with our audience, showing them they can make something tangible with a lasting impact.”

According to Feast, along with the out-of-home element, the national campaign also features a video ad, static ads and an audio ad that will be featured on digital and social media platforms as well as additional digital billboard and street furniture placements. After kicking off in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, additional billboards and street furniture placements will appear across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

“We chose to target major cities across Canada to ensure maximum reach, visibility and impact for a national advertising campaign. Cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are population hubs with diverse audiences and strong media influences, allowing for broad exposure through various ad formats. This approach optimizes engagement and strengthens ESDC’s presence across Canada,” Mariani says.

As the AOR for the Government of Canada, EssenceMediacom handled the media buy, with Feast spearheading the media strategy.