Toronto Foundation, a philanthropic organization committed to improving the city’s quality of life, has launched a campaign aimed at soliciting donations from high and ultra-high net worth individuals.
Developed by the Toronto Foundation’s pro bono agency partner Bensimon Byrne, the “Your Plan for Toronto” campaign is built around a two-minute animated video inspired in part by Chipotle Mexican Grill’s recent sustainability efforts. The campaign officially breaks Oct. 31 and runs for five weeks.
The dialogue-free video, which features animation by Giant Ant and an original score by Tattoo Sound + Music, tells the story of a philanthropist who encounters a rundown inner-city park and approaches the Toronto Foundation with a vision – and a cheque – for a refurbished space.
“Telling the story of one Toronto-based philanthropist who wants to have an impact here at home quickly became the focal point of the campaign,” said Julia Howell, Toronto Foundation’s vice-president of communications and marketing. “We are a community of philanthropists…and by telling a very personal, human story we can help people see there’s a place for them here.”
The spot ends by informing viewers that Toronto Foundation is seeking “city-minded philanthropists to help us build a resilient city.”
The multiplatform campaign includes TV ads on Bloomberg Television and BNN, print ads in The Globe and Mail and trade titles including The Lawyers Weekly, Advisor’s Edge and CPA Magazine, and banners on associated digital properties. The campaign also includes a social strategy, said Lorne Covant, associate creative director at Bensimon Byrne.
Covant said growing sophistication of animation has transformed it into a highly effective means of storytelling. “It’s definitely become a powerful medium in terms of owning a visual style,” he said.
Howell said the campaign is targeting both affluent business owners and senior executives who are “sophisticated” philanthropic investors, as well as high net worth individuals in the “wealth-building” phase of life who have some philanthropic experience.
According to a recent KPMG study for the Toronto Foundation, there are 47,000 high net-worth households in Toronto, and between 220-320 ultra-high net-worth households.
Covant said the animated spot was designed to connect with the target on an emotional level, while also accomplishing some “heavy lifting” in informing viewers about the approach taken by the Toronto Foundation, which was established in 1981 and is one of 191 community foundations across the country that works to connect philanthropists with community needs..
Howell said the organization has struggled in recent years to concisely explain its complex business model to would-be philanthropic partners. “It’s been a challenge to be able to simplify our message, so that it’s clear and human,” she said. “Bensimon Byrne was instrumental in helping us shift away from a complex description of what we do to simplifying our message with a very human story.”
