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.
CreditsClient HomeEquity Bank, Legion National Foundation Agency Zulu Alpha Kilo Zak Mroueh, chief creative officer; Brian Murray, executive creative director; Vic Bath, creative director/art director; Dan Cummings, creative director/copywriter; Michael Romanuik, associate creative director/art director; Marco Buchar, associate creative director/copywriter; Damian Simev, design director; Ana-Marija Vlahovic, Jackman Chiu, designers; Ola Stodulska, Tim Lynch, Sarah Lasch, producers. Production Zulubot Dan Cummings, director; Chris Greenberg, researcher; Ben Bentivegna, Colleen Allen, producers. Editorial Zulubot Jessie Posthumus, editor. Online Zulubot Felipe Chaparro, color grading; Miguel Natividad, motion graphics; Dino Cuzzolino, audio engineer; Noah Mroueh, photographer; Jake Edwards, sr. developer.
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More