Have you BDB fans seen Don Cherry’s, “We all play for Canada” blazer we was sporting Saturday?
Tory Crowder emailed us at BDB to show us the real ‘team’ Toews and the behind-the-scene’s stories following the heartwarming Canadian Tire/Cleansheet commercial, “We all play for Canada”. This last weekend Canadian Tire and Cleansheet launched the World’s biggest team photo project to encourage Canadian’s to play and tell their story.
The latest is Chicago Blackhawks captain and two time Stanley Cup winner, Jonathon Toews. Not only is Toews playing for Team Canada again, but he already has an Olympic Gold Medal under his belt. The presence of such a busy, icon athlete with this project speaks volumes.
“Cleansheet communications captures exactly what it takes to achieve greatness in sport. As an ex-national team athlete, I understand the idea of, ‘there is no such thing as an unassisted goal’. It takes a huge effort of your community to help reach your goal.”
It’s really something. (And this is coming from a Bruins fan who is “hard-headed” and “hates” anything Blackhawks related.)
A news release on the project perfectly catches you up on this neat idea you’ve been missing out on:
Toronto Ontario, January 20 – As excitement builds for the 2014 Olympics, Cleansheet communications and Canadian Tire have launched the world’s biggest Team Photo Project. It is built around the Canadian hockey superstar Jonathan Toews.
The Toews Team Photo Project consists of Jonathan Toews and his community team of 300 real people, not actors, who helped his hockey dream flourish. The team photograph itself forms the shape of a maple leaf, which is reminiscent of the belief that the best of sport brings out the best in the community and nation.
“There has always been the classic definition of a team photo, that being the players and the coaches,” says Neil McOstrich, Creative Director and founding partner at Cleansheet. “What we were trying to accomplish was the real team photo! The one that includes the people in the community who helped get the athlete where he is today. Every athlete in the world has one, this one is unique to Jonathan Toews.”
The Team Photo appears in three television ads, digital advertising and hub, documentaries, electronic ‘thank you odes’, print, outdoor, subway, Canadian Tire stores and their flyers.
Inspiration for the campaign concept: “The game may be hockey, but the people who make it work, the coaches and carpoolers and rink flooders, they speak to the importance of community,” says Catherine Frank, Chief Operating Officer and Cleansheet’s other founding partner. “So we brought Jonathan’s community together to express a sentiment everybody has felt, but in a surprising way that nobody has ever seen before.”
The commercial includes his parents, coaches, carpoolers, primary school teaches, local rink flooders, superfans, fundraisers and others who have contributed to his success along the way. “Canadian Tire believes in the importance of communities because we’ve been part of them for over 90 years,” says Susan O’Brien, VP Strategic Marketing at Canadian Tire. “Shooting the commercial was an incredible experience and felt like a reunion. Here was the community that supported him, all seated in the arena so that the visual is of a great maple leaf, with one empty seat in the centre for Jonathan. It was a special moment when he came out and saw everyone assembled. We caught the reaction and it’s a great clip on the We All Play for Canada website.”
The unexpected documentaries: In the process of searching out the members of Team Toews, Cleansheet heard amazing stories from the extended community. “They were so heartfelt and inspiring, we brought along a documentary crew to capture them,” says Catherine Frank. “When Canadians see these stories, they will see the best of themselves. They will be proud.”
We All Play for Canada campaign fuels pride leading up to the 2014 Olympics.
Canadian Tire and Cleansheet’s campaign debuted during the World Junior Hockey Championships and will continue to run leading up and throughout the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The inspirational Toews Team Photo commercial, which carries the message that there is no such thing as an unassisted goal, was filmed in Jonathan’s hometown of Winnipeg at the MTS Centre. It begins with a tight shot on Jonathan Toews, the arena announcer saying: “Jonathan Toews’ goal assisted by…” the viewers are expecting another hockey player to be revealed as in on the goal, but to their surprise, they see his parents, community rink builders, fundraisers, sponsors and carpoolers instead. The announcer credits them with the assists along with everyone else whose actions prove “there is no such thing as an unassisted goal.” The commercial ends with the written and spoken title, “We All Play for Canada.”
The Toews commercial is only the beginning of the community experience. Viewers can explore a digital version of the Toews Team Photo and click on it to discover heartwarming documentaries about the people in the photograph at www.weallplayforcanada.ca. At the end of each documentary, the viewer is invited to tell their story about his or her contributions to helping others enjoy play.
The Team Portrait Project is the source for all these inspiring community stories. Canadians are encouraged to participate on our website and tell their stories, use the hashtag #weallplayforcanada, follow us on Facebook (Canadian Tire), and share these videos on Youtube. The campaign is part of the ‘We All Play For Canada’ platform Cleansheet launched for Canadian Tire late last year to encourage kids and families to be more active.
