Scotiabank launched a new ice hockey campaign in January – running under its #HockeyForAll platform – built around a new children’s book called ‘The Hockey Jersey’ which seeks to help close the sport’s diversity gap and help all kids see themselves both on the ice and on the page.
A long-time hockey supporter, the financial brand’s campaign was informed by the insight that while many Canadian children grow up reading about hockey, many of the books don’t feature diverse characters. So Scotiabank set out to create a more inclusive book-led campaign featuring the sport in order to engage and inspire a new generation of players from all backgrounds.
The book, which was inspired by classic children’s hockey books like Roch Carrier’s ‘The Hockey Sweater’ (a familiar staple in bookshops across Canada), was written by Jael Richardson and illustrated by Chelsea Charles. It follows a young player called Kareema on the day of her first hockey game and is a contemporary tale featuring a diverse cast of characters and a team collectively discovering something special about hockey.
‘The Hockey Jersey’ is endorsed by a strong team of notable Canadian athletes and sports leaders including black NHL stars PK Subban and Akim Aliu, former player and current Toronto Maple Leafs’ President Brendan Shanahan, as well as national team legends and CWHL and PHF players Natalie Spooner and Soraya Tinker.
The initiative, developed alongside agency Rethink (for creative, strategy and PR) and media agency PHD, sets out to inspire all Canadians and play a role in ensuring that everyone – no matter their ethnicity, gender or background – feels they have a place in hockey for generations to come.
Supporting the physical book, the campaign spanned a hero 45-second spot which dropped on 16 January, as well as a microsite, plus social content, out-of-home creative and PR.
The Hockey Jersey depicts a young girl as she plays her first hockey game and aims to help all kids see themselves in the sport. Author @JaelRichardson discusses the story’s inspiration and what a book like this would have meant to her as a child. #hockeyforall
— Scotiabank (@scotiabank) January 18, 2023
A free digital ebook is available for download at scotiabank.com/thehockeyjersey, while the physical copies of ‘The Hockey Jersey’ can be bought for C$21.99 at Indigo where 100% of net proceeds will be donated to ‘Hockey 4 Youth Foundation’ (an organisation that fosters social inclusion for newcomer and high-priority youth through free on and off-ice life skills programs). Scotiabank is also giving away thousands of copies to local libraries and Little Free Libraries across Canada.
The full campaign is planned for five weeks from 18 January and will feature on 21 January’s ‘Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada’ on Sportsnet and at a free book launch celebration open to the public at The Bentway in Toronto where families are invited to join the brand, ambassadors and authors for a skate, a reading and a signed copy.
“We’ve heard from so many families that their kids had a positive reaction to seeing characters that look like them in the book,” commented Rethink Co Creative Director Robbie Percy. “Representation is so important. The sooner kids become accustomed to seeing themselves represented in the game, the sooner they’ll believe there’s a place for them on the ice. It’s a step towards creating diversity in hockey, which the sport so desperately needs.”
“Any good idea is only as powerful as the partners that you bring to it. Scotiabank was the catalyst for the book, and we needed to find the right storytellers,” added Rethink Co Creative Director Caroline Friesen. “Jael wrote an incredible story and Chelsea’s illustrations are beautifully moving. Everything from character development and design to the serene colour palette was carefully considered. So seeing it all come together in The Hockey Jersey is so special and something that we hope will have an impact on young athletes across the country.”
Comment
Scotiabank is on a mission to make hockey more diverse, more inclusive and more accessible through their hockey for all platform. Through sponsorships, partnerships and programs, Scotiabank is committed to realizing a better future for hockey. Since October 2021, Scotiabank has donated over $3M in funds to organizations that aim to make hockey more accessible to underserved communities.
This initiative builds on the original launch of Scotiabank’s ‘Hockey For All’ platform back in October 2021, as well as the bank’s rich heritage of hockey support and marketing which includes stand out campaigns such as 2014/15’s ‘5th Season’.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.