Buy Toronto Time
TABIA
Issue 60 | September 2021
Agency
Berners Bowie Lee
Creative Team
Devon Williamson, Michael Murray
Production Team
Untitled Films, Grayson Mathews, Alter Ego, Pro Print,
Other Credits
Director. Jesse Louttit,
Date
June 2021
Background
As Toronto was coming out of lockdown, people were excited by talk of the roaring twenties. Many assumed that because a business was open, it had survived. But many small businesses had to pay back debts and loans (ave $170K) and could only open at 15% capacity. So how do you get people to realize that small businesses still needed their help?
Idea
Trigger a sense of loss for businesses that had not yet closed. Buy Toronto Time made people think about the mortality of specific businesses in their neighbourhoods, prompting to support them before it was too late. While the campaign included 400 posters in the windows of local businesses, 120 billboards and TV ads, it was the PR generated by the advertising that changed the narrative.
Results
Only one business who participated has closed. The work captured a cultural moment perfectly, generating of 185 million media impressions.