It’s a well-known fact that Canadians have a love-hate relationship with winter. We love to have fun in the snow, but we hate when the first snow of the season arrives without warning. So, we asked ourselves:“What if we gave people a good reason to smile at the first sign of snow?” With the goal of developing a fun and upbeat campaign, we came up with the theme of “Winter Toys”to promote snow shovels weeks ahead of the first snowfall. Quebec hardware store chain Patrick Morin andGarantsnow shovels gave us an opportunity to capture people’s imagination with shovelful of fun!
On November 8, 2021, well before the first snowfall, wefaked a snowstorm in Joliette, Quebec, burying a bus shelter in artificial snow to not only give locals a taste of winter, but also invite them (with the help of Patrick Morin’s promotional squad) to test out avariety ofGarantsnow shovels. Intended to amplify the brand’s out-of-home campaign, the unexpected snowfall snowballed into a huge success.
RESULTS
The local newspaper and radio station quickly broke the news, and a few thousand residents eitherheard about the stunt or showed up to witness the snowstorm for themselves. More than100 people tested the snow shovels onsite and received a gift card for their efforts. Cars honked as they drove past, passersby smiled and waved, and countless children stopped to play in the snow, creating an avalanche of positive feedback that turned an unexpected snowfall into a moment of pure joy.
