Some think the ‘fake lake’ that will be built for the G20 media centre in Toronto is completely superfluous, others consider it a lovely ‘water feature‘ that will make reporters’ stay in Canada more enjoyable. But no one can deny that the controversy around the $57,000 project has taken on ‘Great’ proportions.

Mississauga, Ontario-based LifeExperiences.ca, a site that sells travel adventures and pampering services in Canada, has decided to poke fun at the brouhaha with a ‘G20. Go jump in the lake’ message displayed on a QEW billboard outside of Toronto and 60-second live-read radio ads will also air on CHUM-FM. The campaign, created by Ottawa-based ad agency Ignyte with media handled internally, is meant to promote some of the website’s water-themed promotions like deep-water fishing, the Le Scandinave Spa and Banff Springs Getaway, says Geoffrey Bailey, partner, Ignyte.

‘We decided to capitalize on the fact that this ludicrous lake was sitting there and we wanted to give people a way to enjoy it,’ Bailey tells MiC.

LifeExperiences.ca was also approached by the Great Lakes Brewing Company who wanted to be in on the joke. They will now erect a similar billboard on their brewery off QEW in the GTA that will also link to the Great Lakes website.

With a core target of women aged 25 to 64, the campaign is a new strategy for the website, launched about eight years ago, which normally uses radio for campaigns but this year wanted a multi-platform marketing strategy, explains Murray Milthorpe, chief experiences officer at LifeExperiences.ca.

There is also a social media component to the campaign with a Facebook and Twitter contest that asks consumers to submit ideas on how to best enjoy the fake lake, for a $500 gift card.

It’s a low-cost media campaign that, because it’s leveraging a current issue, will have a big impact for the brand, says Bailey.

‘The only expense to this client is the cost of the outdoor board, and that of adding two additional radio spots,’ he says.