As a charter member of the 80s “gloom rock” trend, The Cure isn’t exactly known for its feel-good songs. “Friday, I’m in Love” is something of an outlier in the band’s catalogue, and recently played a prominent role in a holiday execution for Koodo developed by Toronto agency Camp Jefferson.
As an extension of its “Choose Happy” positioning introduced earlier this year, the telco enlisted 98 members of Toronto’s Choir! Choir! Choir! to perform a “random act of happy” for shoppers at the annual Christmas Market in Toronto’s Distillery District.
The singers performed a joyous version of the song that was captured and uploaded to Koodo’s YouTube channel. Koodo also placed three garlands bearing the words “Fa la la la la (la la la la),” “Warm thoughts people” and “mistletoe” around the Christmas Market.
“The outward expression of the ‘Choose Happy’ campaign is really about making people feel happy when they encounter the brand,” said Paul Little, executive creative director with Camp Jefferson. “For us this is just a nice holiday extension of what we’re doing year-round.”
“Friday, I’m in Love” was chosen because it is well known, but not as over-familiar to consumers as a traditional carol, said Little. “It couldn’t just be super-random, but it had to have a positive and happy message for this time of year without going full Christmas carol,” he said.
Heather Dionne, marketing communications manager for Koodo in Toronto, said the initiative is a natural fit with the company’s “Choose Happy” positioning. “We’re all about making people feel happy, and that’s where the claim comes in,” said Dionne. “We wanted to deliver a moment of joy that everyone will remember.
The execution is also spreading happiness for new Canadians, with Cure singer Robert Smith agreeing to donate his usual licensing fee to charity. The funds have been earmarked for Syrian refugees.
In a Q3 brand tracking survey conducted by Koodo, 86% of respondents agreed with the statement “I am happy to be a customer of [brand],” 12% higher than its nearest competitor.
