2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Since the end of the First World War, November 11th has been a day to honour veterans around the world and to raise funds to support veterans in need. However, the tradition has begun to fade in Canada among younger generations who lack a connection to war. With awareness and donations on the decline, the primary goal of the work done by Zulu Alpha Kilo, in collaboration with HomeEquity Bank and the Royal Canadian Legion, was to develop a program that would demonstrate support and help drive an increase in donations for the Legion.

The realities of war are hard to comprehend for anyone who has never been near a battlefield. Young Canadians have had the good fortune to grow up without ever having to participate in armed conflict or be exposed to the deprivations that are the everyday realities of soldiers engaged in battle. To be successful in our goal of creating a connection between young people today and the veterans who fought for so many of the freedoms we now enjoy, the agency believed they had to bring the notion of war into their audience’s world, rather than expecting them to seek it out on their own.

In evaluating how they might do that, Zulu considered the typical behaviours of their target, looking for activities that could provide an interesting counterpoint to the grim realities of WWII soldiers. One that immediately presented an interesting juxtaposition was something unimaginable to the veterans they wanted to honour: online food delivery services.

To WWII soldiers surviving on meager rations, the notion of summoning food at a moment’s notice would have been incomprehensible – just as incomprehensible as the deprivations of war are to people of the same age today.

This contrast led to the insight that inspired the campaign: Leverage the convenience of modern life to highlight the hardship of life in the trenches.

With COVID-19 limiting the traditional Remembrance Day observations, the agency needed an innovative way to intercept and be noteworthy to a younger audience.

They started by recreating historically accurate rations kits, containing the exact types of foods consumed by soldiers during the Second World War and offering them on the DoorDash delivery app. To a generation used to having any kind of food
imaginable delivered to their door in minutes, the rations provided a tangible sample of the sacrifices made during wartime.

The Orders of Sacrifice kit included hardtack biscuits, chocolate, tea bags, sardines, evaporated canned milk and canned corn beef. A Second World War historian was consulted on each item in the kit to ensure its accuracy, giving Canadians a taste of authentic battlefront food while supporting our veterans and their families.

The kits were priced at $100 to commemorate 100 years of Remembrance Day and the commemorative poppy in Canada, with all proceeds supporting our veterans. HomeEquity Bank had found a way to invest in its partnership with Legion while supporting the war veterans that its core demographic admired.

Orders of Sacrifice immediately drew attention to Canadian veterans and their experiences. Despite a media budget of only $3,500, the campaign generated significant broadcast and online media coverage across Canada. Highlights
included an extended seven-minute segment featuring the kit and its goals on Breakfast Television, and significant features in Toronto Sun,
Global News Toronto, and CHUM 104.5.

Most importantly, the initiative contributed to the Legion raising over $458,000 in individual online donations for veterans and their families.

Credits

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Executive Creative Director: Brian Murray
Art Directors: Vic Bath, Michael Romaniuk
Copywriters: Dan Cummings, Marco Buchar
Design Director: Dejan Djuric
Designer: Jackman Chiu
Agency Producer: Tim Lynch
Account Team: David Tremblay, Samantha Tang, Rob Feightner
Client: Royal Canadian Legion / HomeEquity Bank
Clients: Yvonne Ziomecki, Vivianne Gauci, Erin Wilson, Niary Toodakian, Sonia Gill
Media Agency: OMD, iQuanti
Media Team: Dwayne Mataseje (OMD), Mitchell Cornelisse (OMD), Justin Lee (iQuanti)
PR Agency: Weber Shandwick
PR Team: Jacklyn Power, Jennifer Wasley
Production House: Zulubot
Director: Vic Bath, Dan Cummings
Production House Producers: Mitch Cappe, Sarah Dayus
Director of Photography: Kyle Chappell
Editing Company: Zulubot
Editor: Max Lawlor, Mitch Reed
Online: Zulubot
Colour Grading: Felipe Chaparro
Audio Engineer: Dino Cuzzolino
Photographer: Noah Mroueh