- My role/scope:
- Design lead, creative lead
- Audience research, media planning
- Art direction, branding, campaign strategy
- Media production
- Credits:
- Marketing Manager: Natalia Lafforgue
- Marketing Specialist: Nathalie Rodrigues
- Agency (initial branding): Proud Creative
- Results:
- Set up advertising sales opportunities for lead generation
- New brand identity, brand personality and style guide
- 2X earned industry media coverage and increased brand awareness
If a brand were to meet a person, how would that interaction go? Well, what do you do when you meet someone? You greet them, right? Is a brand a person? Well, no. But we can have fun entertaining the idea. Out-of-home advertising can elicit the equivalent of a quick wave, nod or verbal exchange between brands and individuals – one that could lead to a conversation, or maybe even *gasp* a relationship.
“With [out-of-home advertising], you aren’t required to stop or dwell. It’s not about trying to slow you down, it’s about grabbing eyespace economically and momentarily… making your head turn, providing direct or ambient stimulus, providing choice and opportunities for identifying brands and making decisions.”
- Tim Spencer, Semiotician and Cultural Analyst
Segmentation. Semiotics. Signification.
In simple terms, the value proposition for Clear Channel Canada went something like this: we’re the best because our signage can help your brand reach any type of audience at any point of their path to purchase – we’re in all the cool places, can’t be turned off and we got the data and analytics to back it up.
Line drawings, bright colours and Proxima Nova Alt
Although it was a rebrand for Canadian operations, visual continuity was important. We sampled elements from the parent brand (designed by agency Proud Creative) – picking and choosing relevant components – and created our own design system to embody a more approachable and recognizable identity that spoke to the value proposition. The “product” also needed to look premium – so incorporating stunning photography of these assets was a no-brainer.
We got creative with self-promotion. Planning guides replaced sales sheets. Personas instead of products. Thought leadership over corporate mundanity. And don’t forget – showing up to the parties!
Oh, hello! Nice to meet you.
It started with a brainstorm taking the corporate adage at face value in silly ways. How do brands meet people? How do people meet people? I believe Tinder and “Millionaire Matchmaker” came up in conversation. Then equating Clear Channel to that good friend who’s adept at setting people up. “Oh hello…” was a little salacious at first, but refining the tone evolved the greeting into something more innocuous and friendly. We already had the where. Self promotion became about how brands meet people. By saying hello.
In 2015, Clear Channel acquired Edmonton’s street furniture advertising network. Continuing with our friendly demeanor, I led a brand awareness campaign that used localized messaging and audience measurement data to wave a whimsical “hello” to observant commuters. The campaign was conceived of in-house with the marketing team followed by my creative direction and design on the posters. The objective was to generate leads, of course.
Not an actual annual report in the traditional sense but rather a brand awareness exercise. This microsite served as a fun, colourful read on the evolution of the company over the year, particularly its corporate rebrand. Kind of meta when you think about it. The objective was to build up our brand equity and differentiate ourselves.
