Magazines Canada has launched a national marketing campaign aimed at boosting newsstand sales and consumer awareness.
Developed by Toronto’s K9 Strategy + Design, the “Canadian Magazine Mash-up” campaign consists of humorous “mash-ups” of various magazine genres. It is comprised of a video series, print ads, social media support and a curated blog featuring “must-reads” from various Canadian publications.
The first 30-second video, “Gourmet Adventure,” features a chef trying to put the finishing touches on an elaborate creation in a studio setting, only to be repeatedly disturbed by a man carrying a canoe over his head – knocking her chef’s hat askew and banging into pots and pans.
The video then cuts to a newsstand to reveal a woman reading Canadian Living alongside a man leafing through Canadian Geographic, followed by the super “Anything can happen when you buy a Canadian magazine.”
Barbara Bates, executive director of circulation marketing for Magazines Canada in Toronto, said the spots were designed to convey how magazine readers could “get lost” in the articles they’re reading.
A total of three videos using the hashtag #MagazineMoment will be introduced throughout the summer, in advance of what the organization described as a “robust” integrated marketing campaign set to debut in the fall and winter.
Bates said Canadian titles traditionally struggled to get a presence on newsstands, though their presence has increased to approximately 34% from less than 10% in 2000.
She attributed the rise to a decrease in U.S. spill and better quality Canadian magazines. “Canadians want to read about what’s happening in their own country, so there’s huge relevance there,” said Bates.
The campaign includes more than 130 Canadian magazine titles and in-store signage, end-cap displays and window displays in approximately 800 retail locations across the country, including Chapters and Indigo locations.
The campaign is supported by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Periodical Fund, Presse Commerce and Gateway Newsstands.
