Ah spring. Time for rebirth, right? Canadian Tire sure thinks so, if its new integrated spring campaign, by Toronto-based AOR Taxi is any indication. Granted, the new ‘Spring Starts at Canadian Tire’ effort, which includes two brand spots, three product spots, print, OOH, DM and Web, is more of an ‘evolution than a revolution,’ according to Tracy Fellows, VP, consumer advertising and marketing, who says the new campaign is Canadian Tire’s first fully integrated effort. National TV spots will launch on Saturday.
‘We want to bring something new and different [forward], but we want to stay true to the brand character and [continue to position the brand] as a destination for new, exciting products.’
Describing the new work as ‘fresh, light-hearted, and with a sense of humour and wit,’ she says that since Canadians are filled with excitement and energy at the first hint of spring, the goal is for Canadian Tire to be the first place they think about when it comes to their spring needs.
Specifically, the spots, geared at parents with kids, focus on portraying the iconic retailer as the go-to place for all products for the backyard, and use aisle signs as a branding/unifying element, as do the OOH ads. For instance, in one spot, a man is taping together some patio furniture, much to his wife’s chagrin. An aisle sign descends over them, advertising patio furniture.
‘It’s not 25 seconds of entertainment, ‘brought to you by’ with a logo,’ says Lance Martin, ACD at Taxi. ‘The aisle sign is a device that allows the brand to be integrated into the story.’
Print advertising meanwhile, reads like a travel brochure and is meant to get across the message that you can take an exotic vacation in your own backyard. For instance, one of the images is set up to look like a poolside retreat at a resort. The ads will run in major mags such as Chatelaine and Canadian Living, and continues the retailer’s strategy of reaching out to women and presenting them with solutions. DM, which is also part of the mix, has a postcard feel, while on Canadian Tire’s Web site, visitors can plan their own destination for their backyard, thanks to tips on creating a themed outdoor space and links to product lines. Overall, says Fellows, ‘our organization is striving to be innovative through the [introduction of] new products, but we also want to be innovative in how we market them.’
Canadian Tire’s OOH campaign and product spots are slated to launch April 1. A promotion entitled Spring Thrill at the Till, which gives away gift cards worth $15,000, will also launch in early April. Media buys were done by Toronto-based MBS.
