2021 Winner
BronzeBest in Travel and Tourism
Travel Alberta
"The Art of Winter"
Initiative Media
"The Art of Winter"
Initiative Media
It’s no secret that Alberta is home to some of the most iconic views in all of Canada. Its Rocky Mountain ranges and pristine glacier lakes dominate search results for Canada (67% of results on Google Image Search) and represent some of the most recognizable landscapes in the world.
But beauty isn’t enough, and as the influence of social media has grown, there has been an oversaturation of incredible travel photography filling our feeds. Iconic views have become wallpaper and Alberta’s landscapes stopped being a differentiator.
Winter in Alberta presents additional problems as the idea of frigid temperatures and heavy snowfalls cause many Canadians to escape to warmer climates instead. To convince Canadians to embrace winter in Alberta, the agency had to show them more than fresh powder, they needed to communicate all the romance and magic the season could offer.
Art can evoke powerful emotions and influence how we perceive the world in a way that traditional advertising can’t. So the agency partnered with local artists to launch an ambitious content project that would demonstrate how the province is not just a series of breathtaking landscapes but also a
vibrant cultural hub.
The Art of Winter consisted of commissioning 10 pieces of original artwork from local Albertan artists, each carefully chosen to represent the diversity of Alberta's peoples and regions. Artists from different specializations were selected to engage each of the senses and deliver a transportive multi-sensory marriage of visual art, music, storytelling, and poetry.
To challenge the notion that Alberta’s winter is dark and desolate, the project launched on the Winter Solstice (the longest night of the year), with a physical installation titled SOLAR FLARE: an interactive light sculpture resembling a man-made sun. SOLAR FLARE lit up the mountains of Kananaskis Country and served as a hopeful beacon for prospective travellers.
Drawing inspiration from the diversity of Alberta’s urban, rural, and mountain environments, they turned their medium into their message both offline and online. Each piece eventually took on a life of its own after the project concluded, by inspiring additional artwork, being featured in galleries, or touring the province.
A virtual exhibition featuring the work was launched on The Globe and Mail, pairing each artwork with that artist’s personal story detailing their process and connection to Alberta.
To immerse their audience further, an original song was commissioned by Juno-nominated Indigenous musician Matthew Cardinal, intended to be played while users browsed the exhibition.
With Canadians worn down by a nonstop negative news cycle, the Art of Winter arrived to provide a break from the bleak. They took over news and social media feeds and introduced doomscrollers to a digital gallery that transported them to Alberta. Running art in place of ads.
Despite a 40% drop in travel searches for other destinations (YoY during COVID-19 lockdowns), they saw Alberta-based travel searches increase by 8% during the campaign period. Post engagement survey showed 42% of respondents would consider travelling to Alberta during the winter season. Their audience spent 15,741 hours total viewing the project, and the series received 90,000+ unanimously positive social engagements. The most common takeaway: “Beautiful!”
Artist Carmen Frank went on to create a whole collection inspired by the project which has sold online for thousands of dollars. Solar Flare installation was featured throughout the province with plans to tour further. Artist Jason Carter’s piece can be seen in his Canmore gallery with prints available online.
But beauty isn’t enough, and as the influence of social media has grown, there has been an oversaturation of incredible travel photography filling our feeds. Iconic views have become wallpaper and Alberta’s landscapes stopped being a differentiator.
Winter in Alberta presents additional problems as the idea of frigid temperatures and heavy snowfalls cause many Canadians to escape to warmer climates instead. To convince Canadians to embrace winter in Alberta, the agency had to show them more than fresh powder, they needed to communicate all the romance and magic the season could offer.
Art can evoke powerful emotions and influence how we perceive the world in a way that traditional advertising can’t. So the agency partnered with local artists to launch an ambitious content project that would demonstrate how the province is not just a series of breathtaking landscapes but also a
vibrant cultural hub.
The Art of Winter consisted of commissioning 10 pieces of original artwork from local Albertan artists, each carefully chosen to represent the diversity of Alberta's peoples and regions. Artists from different specializations were selected to engage each of the senses and deliver a transportive multi-sensory marriage of visual art, music, storytelling, and poetry.
To challenge the notion that Alberta’s winter is dark and desolate, the project launched on the Winter Solstice (the longest night of the year), with a physical installation titled SOLAR FLARE: an interactive light sculpture resembling a man-made sun. SOLAR FLARE lit up the mountains of Kananaskis Country and served as a hopeful beacon for prospective travellers.
Drawing inspiration from the diversity of Alberta’s urban, rural, and mountain environments, they turned their medium into their message both offline and online. Each piece eventually took on a life of its own after the project concluded, by inspiring additional artwork, being featured in galleries, or touring the province.
A virtual exhibition featuring the work was launched on The Globe and Mail, pairing each artwork with that artist’s personal story detailing their process and connection to Alberta.
To immerse their audience further, an original song was commissioned by Juno-nominated Indigenous musician Matthew Cardinal, intended to be played while users browsed the exhibition.
With Canadians worn down by a nonstop negative news cycle, the Art of Winter arrived to provide a break from the bleak. They took over news and social media feeds and introduced doomscrollers to a digital gallery that transported them to Alberta. Running art in place of ads.
Despite a 40% drop in travel searches for other destinations (YoY during COVID-19 lockdowns), they saw Alberta-based travel searches increase by 8% during the campaign period. Post engagement survey showed 42% of respondents would consider travelling to Alberta during the winter season. Their audience spent 15,741 hours total viewing the project, and the series received 90,000+ unanimously positive social engagements. The most common takeaway: “Beautiful!”
Artist Carmen Frank went on to create a whole collection inspired by the project which has sold online for thousands of dollars. Solar Flare installation was featured throughout the province with plans to tour further. Artist Jason Carter’s piece can be seen in his Canmore gallery with prints available online.
Credits
Travel Alberta (Client Team):- Susan Darch - Director, Consumer Marketing
- Sean Flemmer - Manager, Destination Promotion
- Jillian Hale - Manager, Consumer Marketing
- Rose Bolton - Specialist, Brand and Content
- Tom Babin - Manager, Brand and Content
- Lisa Gorchinski - Director, Brand Strategy & Content
- Tannis Gaffney - Vice President, Destination Promotion
Initiative Media (Media Agency):
- Chris Gairdner - Head of Content
- Stefan Ruby - Supervisor, Global Content Strategy
- Ryan Gentile - Senior Project Manager
- Olivier Leblond - Vice President, Client Advice & Management
Globe Content Studio (Media Partner):
- Jessica Robinson - Content Strategist
- Jeanine Brito - Creative Lead
- Christina Lippa - Project Manager, Brand Partnerships