On the eve of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Canadian based Boston Pizza is urging all Canadians to come together at the climax of the NHL season and cheer for Canadian success through an integrated campaign created with agency Camp Jefferson called ‘Team Up For The Cup’.
Objective
Of course, the brand and agency marketers obviously know that Vancouver Canucks fans will never wholeheartedly cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs and that Calgary Flames supporters will never switch their allegiance and root for Alberta arch-rival Edmonton Oilers, but the quick service/casual dining chain is nevertheless making a plea for some much-needed Canadian unity as the birthplace of hockey seeks to end a championship drought spanning three decades.
It’s been over 30 years since a Canadian team last won the Cup. Just how long ago is that?
Activation
‘Team Up for the Cup’ is urging Canadians to temporarily – even begrudgingly – put aside their singular passionate allegiance and local rivalries to support all the teams competing in the playoffs to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.
Hubbed around a bespoke microsite, the campaign spans TV/OLV, radio, social, and contextually reactive digital and OOH in the localities around the four Canadian teams’ home arenas.
All assets seek to drive viewers/fans to a dedicated microsite where they are encouraged to sign a pledge of support for all Canadian teams still standing in playoffs.
The campaign began with a teaser phase of street-level ads focusing on how much time has passed since a Canadian team last won the Cup. These include era references such as long-defunct Blockbuster video chain and telephone booths. A further teaser phase saw a group of nationwide influencers and sports personalities distribute items reminiscent of the last time a Canadian team won the cup – such as Beanie Babies.
This was followed on 15 April by a core launch phase anchored by a 30-second spot called ’30 Years Of Suffering’ narrated by Chris Cuthbert: Cuthbert is Sportsnet’s lead hockey commentator who is considered by many to be the voice of hockey in Canada (he famously called Sidney Crosby’s overtime ‘golden goal’ in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics – one of the most famous moments in Canadian sports history).
The spot showcases several heart breaking Canadian team playoff defeats over the last 30 years linked to disappointed fan reactions ranging from a smashed wall and a broken TV screen, to a TV being driven over by a truck and a radio being thrown after a heart breaking defeat.
But the ad ends with a hopeful tone: showing fans of rival teams (uneasily) gathering at Boston Pizza to cheer on Canada’s teams and then directs viewers to the campaign website which includes a tongue-in-cheek fan pledge to back Canadian teams.
The pledge includes comic clause copy like: “I do agree to cheer for every, and all Canadian teams, to the very last, until my throat groweth hoarse, my voice raspy, and my eyes teary,” and to “extend all personal superstitious behaviours and practices, to be of benefit to all Canadian teams, for the duration of their Cup run. Be it beard growing, sweater washing, seat switching, anthem singing, broadcast watching – or not watching.”
The lead spot is backed by cut downs, social executions and a series of social shorts feature famous fans from Canadian playoff teams – including the Toronto Maple Leafs ‘Dart Guy’ and Vancouver’s ‘Green Men’ – who are shown politely, yet uneasily co-existing due to their shared hope for Canadian success. Thus suggesting that if they can come together for a shared cause, so can everyone else.
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After 3 decades of defeat, we’re rooting for all of the teams with postal codes until one of them (knock on wood) brings it home 🏒🏆#BostonPizza #Playoffs pic.twitter.com/pKvaLWQlGB
— Boston Pizza (@bostonpizza) April 15, 2024
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“As a brand that’s all about bringing people together, the NHL Playoffs are a big time for us at Boston Pizza. People come to Boston Pizza because they’re hungry for more than just food, and after over 30 years of suffering, they’re hungry for a win.”
Boston Pizza International Vice President Marketing James Kawalecki
“The funny thing is that despite our competitiveness, we’ve all been suffering together for decades. It’s been over 30 years since the Cup has been on Canadian soil. That’s ridiculous. As a brand that’s about bringing people together, we thought it would be fun to leverage that shared suffering.”
Camp Jefferson SVP Head Of Strategy Ian Barr
The campaign was commissioned for and developed with a Boston Pizza marketing team which included Marketing Directors Peter Blackwell and Niels Van Oyen, IVP Marketing James Kawalecki and Marketing Managers Sean Megna and Taylor Campbell.
The group which worked on the project at creative agency Camp Jefferson was led by Managing Partner Peter Bolt, General Manager Edith Rosa, Creative Director Julie Nikolic, Strategy Director Ian Barr, Creative Directors Mike Blackmore and Chris Obergfell, Strategy Director Joseph Elkouby, Production Director Lily Tran, Account Director Heather Mirynech, Associate Creative Directors Robyn Crummey, Ashley Babcock and Brendhan McCarthy, Account Handling Kristina Figueira and Account Executive Sierra Haddleton.
Media was handled by UM Canada and PR was handled by Heads & Tales.
Production was byUndivided with Director Nikki Ormerod, Director Of Photography Zachary Koski, Executive Producer Scott Houghton, Photographer Nikki Ormerod and Producer Christa Lindsay
Post production was by Darling VFX where the team included Colourist Patrick Samaniego, Colour Assistant Eric Kingsbury, Flame Artist Paul Binney, VFX Artists Alyssa Schmidt and Michael Pitruzzella, Executive Producers Kristen Van Fleet and Morgan Campbell.
Editing was run through Saints Editorial with Editor Mark Paiva, Executive Producer Emily McKay, plus Edit Assistants Nick Coleman and Jadon Williams.
Music and sound was from Ta2 Sound & Music with Composer/Musician Drew Frohmann, Executive Producers Dana Gadsden and Drew Thomas, plus Sound Engineer Andrew Fumerton.
In US sport – a country largely without a deep pyramid structure – 30 years is a long time. After all, back then the first Jurassic Park was the biggest movie at the box office, hardly anyone had a mobile phone, the Backstreet Boys formed and Boston Pizza was only charging $2 for a beer.
This is Camp Jefferson’s first major work for BP since winning the account late last year, but it still aligns with BP’s longstanding strategy of marketing that taps into significant cultural events and local market relevancy across traditional and emerging media channels.
Previous examples include last year’s temporary ‘name change’ to ‘Auston Pizza’ after Auston Matthews’ Leafs advanced in the first round while their bitter rivals the Boston Bruins were eliminated, and its ‘Patio Retraining’ program after pandemic restrictions were ended.