2021 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Challenges & Objectives
More than 100 years have passed since the end of World War One. For members of the Late Millennial and Gen Z cohort, the significance of Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) and importance of honouring those who fought and lost their lives has been lost. The objective of this campaign was to reach and teach young people about the sacrifices of veterans for our continued safety and freedom in Canada.

Insights & Strategy

Knowing the attention war themed games were commanding from the demographic, and the massive scale their existing platforms could provide, the team sought out an idea that could weave the Legion’s message directly into these existing behaviors rather than simply targeting or interrupting them.

The creative idea was to use Fortnite – a platform the target was highly engaged with but is seemingly at odds with the objectives and general tone of the Legion – to engage Canadian youth in an effort to increase respect and awareness for Canada’s military history and Veterans – something it was never designed or intended for.

This innovative approach brought the Legion’s education and awareness message directly to Fortnite platform. Young gamers were able to play, learn and even participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies (by gathering for a Salute, or posting Replay videos) in ways they’d never considered before.

Execution

Meeting young gamers on their own turf, the Legion created a historical recreation of famous battlegrounds where Canadian soldiers fought and fell, on the wildly popular gaming platform Fortnite – and called the experience “Remembrance Island”. Here, gamers could explore 5 major conflict zones, stopping at each one, where they would get quick morsels of info about Canadian military exploits and the sacrifices made by those who served.

Results

Gamer’s responded with gameplay videos on YouTube and Twitch showing them exploring the Island in awe of its detail, stopping at each landmark to read about its historical significance and using their Salute emote to mark a moment of silence. Over 19,000 gamers visited Remembrance Island in a four-day period beginning on November 11.

Notable press coverage included a front-page article in the print and online editions of Canada’s most respected national newspaper, The Globe & Mail, and television news segments on both the CBC and CTV networks. Add in social mentions from the likes of @PCGamer and @FortniteBR among others, and Remembrance Island garnered over 42 million earned media impressions across all media and social channels.

This has become an ongoing platform now in its second year with a second Island comprising even more military battlegrounds. It has also been accepted as part of the National War Museum’s interactive exhibit to be engaged with by the millions of visitors who make the trip to the nation’s capital each year.

Credits

Agency: Wunderman Thompson (Canada)
VP, Executive Creative Director: Ari Elkouby
Copywriter: Jon Webber
Art Director: Raj Gupta
Designer: JXDVN
Account Team: Matt Good, Mike Davidson
Agency Producer: Jennifer Cotton
Production: Sauce Production
Editor: John Collucci
Audio Production: Pirate Radio
Audio Director: Chris Tait
Audio Engineer: Kyle Anderson

Public Relations: Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Senior Vice President: Angie Lamanna
Assistant Consultant: Waverly Shin

Client: Royal Canadian Legion
Clients: Freeman D. Chute