The Legion National Foundation and HomeEquity Bank present this “Letters Home” campaign, a way to help bring Canadians of all ages a poignant reminder of the many wartime sacrifices of Canada’s veterans. The campaign will help connect current homeowners to residents from the past by sending replica letters from Canadian soldiers who fought in World Wars I and II to their originally intended addresses across Canada in the weeks leading up to November 11.
These genuine letters–sourced from the Canadian Letters & Images Project at Vancouver Island University, which makes the archived letters available to the public–offer a unique and insightful window into the past, while also using today’s QR codes to help drive digital poppy donations (funds to support vets and their families) and to share a moving and thought-provoking video featuring Canadian veterans speaking about the importance and power of wartime letters.
Created by Zulu Alpha Kilo, the idea was born from the fact that as time since these wars passes, a growing number of young Canadians struggle to make a connection to our history. Now, everyone across the country will be able to forge a connection to the young men and women who served them by participating in "Letters Home."
“In this digital age, receiving a physical letter (that isn’t a bill) is a special moment,” said Zulu Alpha Kilo ECD Brian Murray. “We felt this was a powerful way to reach Canadians, have them connect with the past in a tangible way, and remind them that these soldiers were real people who lived where we live and dreamed as we dream.”
The campaign’s digital map at Letters-Home.ca will also allow Canadians to find and read letters sent close to their address, along with a prompt to donate to the Digital Poppy campaign in the name of a soldier who had originally written the letter. “We wanted to give all Canadians a chance to engage with our campaign. Even if a letter wasn’t sent directly to your house, it’s still powerful to read a letter that was sent to your street or neighborhood. It makes history feel close and relatable.”
Directed by Zulu Alpha Kilo creative director/copywriter Dan Cummings via production house Zulubot, this "Letters Home" video includes quotes from real letters. The video has been airing across the country since October 31. Canadians can also see the letters come to life in their own neighborhoods, including Toronto, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Hamilton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Halifax and Moncton, courtesy of national out-of-home advertisements across the country generously provided by Astral Media and Outfront.
Zulu Alpha Kilo led the creative and strategy, Weber Shandwick led PR, and OMD was behind the media planning and buying.
