Hudson’s Bay Co. is appealing to Canadian history lovers with its latest advertising campaign focused on the brand’s roots dating back nearly 350 years ago.
The iconic Canadian retailer chose the glitz of the Emmy Awards telecast on Sunday to debut the grit of famous explorers as part of a new historical narrative series called Country of Adventurers.
The campaign is the first-ever TV ad by the brand’s HBC History Foundation, which was established in 1993 when the company donated its archives to the Provincial Archives of Manitoba and the Manitoba Museum. According to HBC’s website, the foundation is responsible for maintaining these collections.
The series was shot in partnership with Toronto-based Red Urban, which was selected earlier this year as the agency to put together the new HBC campaign. It’s the first time Red Urban has worked with HBC.
Red Urban president Steve Carli said the brand was looking for ways to leverage archive material from its HBC History Foundation.
“When you have an asset in your brand that no other competitor can leverage, it makes sense for you to leverage that,” said Carli. “It was an opportunity for them to show their commitment to Canada by coming up with a way to express stories about our history in a fashion that would get people excited … and reinforce what it means to be a Canadian company that was around during the formation of the country and was probably key in that.”
Red Urban came up with the idea to use a modern-day adventurer to help Canadians connect with the people who helped discover the country centuries earlier. The first spot uses Les Stroud, host of TV’s Survivorman, to tell the story of Dr. John Rae, a Scottish doctor who worked for HBC in the mid 1800s. Rae is known for discovering the last missing link of the Northwest Passage and the fate of the Franklin expedition.
“Sometimes, if you try to tell a history story, the worst thing you can do is end up with something that is dry and not very interesting. Our mission from day one was to tell a really compelling story in an exciting way,” said Michael Crotty, EVP, marketing at HBC. “I think we landed on a very interesting approach”
The 60-second and 30-second spot, directed by David Tennant of Untitled Films, will run on TV and online. Other stories will be launched this fall and into 2016. While the campaign started on TV, Carli said it’s expected to take on a broader social media presence in the months ahead.
Crotty said the timing felt right to leverage the foundation as the company modernizes its brand, and ahead of Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.
This isn’t the first time the retailer has drawn from its heritage for marketing efforts, however. In March 2013 it introduced a full-dress coat of arms logo for “select signature use” and months later sent a four 20-something male “adventurers” on a 49-city tour in a branded RV that was documented via social.
HBC said it’s “uniquely positioned and committed to telling Canada’s rich stories.”
“It is an incredible responsibility and privilege to celebrate our heritage and share these stories with Canadians and the world,” Liz Rodbell, president, Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor, said in a release. “’The Country of Adventurers’ captures the rich and exciting history of Canada, and hopefully encourages Canadians to learn even more about this great country.”
