2021 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Challenge
More than 100 years have passed since the end of World War One. For members of the late Millennial and Gen Z cohort, the significance of Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) and the importance of honouring those who fought and lost their lives has been lost. The Royal Canadian Legion tasked Wunderman Thompson with reaching and teaching young people about the sacrifices veterans made for our continued safety and freedom in Canada.

Insight
Knowing the attention war-themed games command from this demographic, and the massive scale existing game platforms provide, weaving the Legion’s message directly into these existing behaviors would be more impactful than simply targeting or interrupting them.

The creative idea was to use Fortnite – a platform the target is highly engaged with, but seemingly at odds with the objectives and general tone of the Legion – to engage Canadian youth in an effort to increase respect and awareness for Canada’s military history and veterans.

This approach brought the Legion’s education and awareness message directly to young Fortnite gamers who were able to play, learn and even participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies (by gathering for a Salute, or posting Replay videos) in ways they’d never considered before.

Execution
To meet young gamers on their own turf, famous battlegrounds where Canadian soldiers fought and fell were recreated in an in-game “Remembrance Island” experience. Here, gamers could explore five major conflict zones, stopping at each one, where they would get quick morsels of info about Canadian military exploits and the sacrifices made by those who served.

Results
“Remembrance Island” struck the chord the Legion was looking for with both the press and gamers.

Gamers responded with gameplay videos on YouTube and Twitch showing them exploring the Island, in awe of its detail, stopping at each landmark to read about its historical significance and using their Salute to mark a moment of silence. Over 19,000 gamers visited “Remembrance Island” in a four-day period beginning on November 11.

Press coverage included a front-page article in The Globe & Mail, and television news segments on both CBC and CTV. Add in social mentions from the likes of @PCGamer and @FortniteBR among others, and “Remembrance Island” garnered over 42 million earned media impressions across all media and social channels.

This has become an ongoing platform, now in its second year, with a second Island comprised of even more military battlegrounds. It has also been accepted as part of the National War Museum’s interactive exhibit.

Credits

VP, Executive Creative Director: Ari Elkouby
Copywriter: Jon Webber
Art Director: Raj Gupta
Designer: JXDVN
Account Team: Matt Good, Mike Davidson
Agency Producer: Jennifer Cotton
Production: Sauce Production
Editor: John Collucci
Audio Production: Pirate Radio
Audio Director: Chris Tait
Audio Engineer: Kyle Anderson

Public Relations: Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Senior Vice President: Angie Lamanna
Assistant Consultant: Waverly Shin

Client: Freeman D. Chute