Download PDF - Strategy

The new window shopping
The Vancouver-based Canadian Tourism Commission wanted to increase the number of U.S. tourists visiting Canada, which
has been declining in recent years, and counteract the perception of Canada as being dull. The solution? OMD Vancouver
set polar bears on the growl in Manhattan. In the summer.
Goal
To generate awareness of what Canada has to
offer tourists, and inspire the target to visit.
Target consumer
Well-educated, urban American consumers with
higher-than-average incomes.
Insight and strategy
The desire was to do something unexpected,
but the regulatory environment in New York
City makes street-level promotions diffi cult,
and special permits, if even approved, can be
expensive. The OMD Vancouver team needed to
grab attention without invading sidewalk space.
The plan
Three storefronts in high-traffi c locations in
Manhattan were wrapped in vinyl posters. The
imagery featured uniquely Canadian experiences
paired with a technology called Whispering
Windows, which allows windows to act as
speakers, emitting ambient soundtracks to
match the visuals.
For example, the image of a polar bear was
paired with a soundtrack that included a tundra
buggy driving over snow and the reaction of
tourists as the polar bear approaches. Street
teams were also deployed onsite to further
engage consumers.
Because the soundtrack originated from the
storefront, there was no need for special permits.
Results
Post-campaign tracking indicated that consumers
were reporting a higher recall of Canada, and there
has been a 9% cumulative positive infl uence on
visits to Canada overall.
Credits
OMD Vancouver: Erin McWhinnie, strategy
supervisor
DDB Vancouver: Nora Ahern, group account
director; Kathleen Drennan, account director
CTC: Ernst Flach, marketing manager, Americas;
Siobhan Chretien, executive director, Americas.