2021 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Objective & Challenges

This past December, the province of Ontario announced a second wave of widespread lockdowns in Toronto. A key aspect was the requirement of small businesses to suspend operations or operate with curbside pickup only. That was in stark contrast to the guidelines for big box stores, which could continue operating with few restrictions and minimal disruption to their business.

During the previous months, small businesses had been recognized for consistently demonstrating high levels of care and responsibility around COVID-19 protocols, while many big box stores were much looser in their compliance.

Anticipating the economic impact of the second wave of restrictions, the team wanted to help by calling attention to the unfairness of the situation and demonstrating support for local business disproportionately affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.

Insights & Strategy

COVID-19 has made things we’ve never experienced suddenly become commonplace. Before the pandemic, social distancing was unheard of, and masks were for medical professionals. Overnight, those things became the norm.

Another unprecedented pandemic behaviour was a new shopping requirement: for the first time ever, strict customer counts were imposed on retailers, resulting in long line-ups outside stores that felt more appropriate to the Depression than they did to life in the 21st century. The phenomenon became a signature image of 2020, symbolizing the personal impact we felt as individuals, and the commercial impact felt by business.

As the agency thought about how to draw attention to the plight of small business and the unfair policies that favoured larger retailers, it realized that imagery had the potential to be used in a different manner. Rather than people lining up to make their own personal purchases, what if a line-up could make a provocative statement?

Execution

On a wintry morning heading into what would normally be the holiday season, along two popular retail stretches in Toronto, long line-ups began to form. But rather than a crowd of shoppers, it was a line-up of ‘out of work’ mannequins holding placards with the hashtag #ThinkOutsideTheBigBox. Messages on placards, including “Hungry for Customers”, “Locked Down and Out” and “Kicked to the Curbside Pickup”, clearly articulated the dire situation facing many small retailers.

Results

The installation struck a chord with the media and Canadians alike. It was covered in every major Canadian news outlet including a two-minute feature on the CBC evening news and the front page of the Globe and Mail’s business section. All told, it generated 55 million impressions at an estimated value of $90 million.

At the best of times, small businesses need to get creative to survive. During a pandemic, that’s even more true. By getting people thinking about the importance of shopping local, #ThinkOutsideTheBigBox applied an experiential call to action to support a truly important local cause.

Credits

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Creative Director: Zak Mroueh
Art Director: Jacob Gawrysiak
Writer: George Ault
Account Team: Rob Feightner
Planning Team: Maxine Thomas
Client: Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA)
Clients: Albert Stortchak, Rob Sysak
PR Agency: Jumpstart Communications
PR Team: Tory Crowder
Producer: Ola Stodulska
Photographer: Shereen Mroueh
Mac Artist: Michelle Kennedy