2022 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Live music has been a hallmark of Niagara Falls, Canada, since long before ‘Now That’s What I Call Music!’ released Vol. 1. That was ’98, and it’s been a steady stream of hit artists performing from the Falls since then. Until, you know, that global thing we’re all tired of talking about. But, the reality is live music had never been less alive at Niagara Falls. To keep the spirit alive, Niagara Falls Tourism, the body that promotes the destination, came to them with an idea – a pretty good one. Let’s do something music related and broadcast it on Canadian television. Here was a chance to use a less-than-capacity Niagara Falls as a sprawling musical venue to record a never-before attempted and never-to-be-repeated
musical something.

That ‘something’ took months to arrange. They pitched Alessia Cara, an Ontario native and Grammy award winner, to launch her new album from Niagara Falls, recording new songs and new arrangements of her greatest hits from iconic spots around the destination. The piece would be an hour-long, made-for-TV special combining those musical numbers with in-depth interviews and what else? The Falls. They recorded tracks from the iconic boat at the Falls, on rooftops overlooking Clifton Hill, from a stage suspended below the surface of a beautiful pond in Oakes Garden Theatre, and many more spots that have never looked so good.

It was an incredible amount of work. But it paid off. They had multiple channels in Canada and the US competing for the special. The hit singles they recorded were picked up and broadcast on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, eTalk and in over 80 countries worldwide on MTV’s Fresh Out Live. Online, countless fans commented that not only were their new recordings some of the best renditions ever made, but they loved the metaphoric connection between Alessia’s performances and Niagara Falls.

All told, the content earned for Niagara Falls 240.7 million impressions, reaching 98 million households, gaining 61.7 million impressions from over 30 pieces of press coverage, and knocking back 92.5 million social media impressions. As well as amassing nearly a million online video views. From a local broadcast opportunity to Rolling Stone, The Toronto Star, Yahoo Entertainment, and even 60Minutes, it got rave reviews. The best result, though, wasn’t the numbers. It was that for untold numbers of people in Canada and across the border, Niagara Falls was once again synonymous with music. And in a period where everything looked grey, it meant a lot to see the Falls all lit up once again.

Credits

Advertiser Brand: Niagara Falls Tourism
Client, Director of Marketing and Communications: Chantal Suthons

Advertising Agency: Zerotrillion
Chief Executive Officer: Alex Paquin
Global Creative Director: Adam Fierman
Executive Strategy Director: Aubrey Podolsky
Business Director: Elysia Ravenscroft
PR & Communications Manager: Teal Minisofer
Designer: Jack Towers

Production Company: Zerotrillion & Nordest Studio
Executive Producers: Alex Paquin, Simon Devenyi, Lina Beaudin
Producer: Elysia Ravenscroft
Director: angelicamilash
Director of Photography: Lester Millado
Screenwriters: angelicamilash & Adam Fierman
Product Manager: Pierre Campbell
Art Direction: Lina Beaudin, Miranda Crabtree
Production Designer: Lina Beaudin, Eric Luscher
Behind the Scenes Cinematographer: Dario Caracciolo
Behind the Scenes Photographer: Gabriel Shubat

Editors: Anna Catley, Leah Lalich

Audio Production: TA2 Sound + Music
Producer: Dana Gadsden
Sound Design: Steve Gadsden
Audio Engineer: Brian Gallant, Adam Ive

Post Production Colour & Finishing: Alter Ego Post
Colour Executive Producer: Jane Garrah
Colourists: Conor Fisher, Patrick Samaniego
Colour Assistants: Jonah Venneri, Ebi Agbeyegbe, Samantha Omand

Stylist: Sara Vaughan Roberts
Hair and Makeup: Veronica Chu
Choreographer: Monika Felice Smith

Talent: Alessia Cara
Interviewer: Alex Narvaez
Musicians: Dan Kanter, Dean Jarvis, Adrian Passarelli, Denise Fung
Artist Management Company: 21 Entertainment Group
Artist Management: Chris Smith, Victoria Westfall
Artist Representation: Feldman Agency
Sound Design Music: Robin Reumers