The Toronto Maple Leafs are celebrating their centenary season with a new marketing campaign showcasing both the highs and lows of the franchise’s history while simultaneously looking to the future.
The campaign’s centrepiece is a 60-second spot from Sid Lee called “Stand Witness,” which opens on an older Leafs fan – referred to throughout the spot as a “wise man” – recalling the team’s glory years.
Atop visuals of past Stanley Cup triumphs, a voiceover explains that younger fans were jealous of the wise man because of the many Leafs triumphs he was able to witness first-hand.
The spot also addresses some of the franchise’s low-points since its last Stanley Cup win in 1967. A TV set thrown out of a window, for example, bears an image of beloved Leafs captain Darryl Sittler wearing a Philadelphia Flyers jersey after his 1982 trade (which has been ranked the third worst trade in franchise history).
The spot then transitions to the present day, with images of new players like first overall pick Auston Matthews and head coach Mike Babcock, a slight smile crossing the wise man’s face as he informs younger fans, “I am jealous of what you will stand witness to in your lifetime.”
“It’s a moment that is a nod to the leadership team we have in place here [that] is building a team of young players that are going to take us into a winning future,” said Shannon Hosford, vice-president of marketing and communications for Leafs parent Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. “Our only goal as an organization is to win a championship.
“That smile indicates that the Leafs are on their way.”
The spot ends with a super featuring the number “100,” which then rolls back to 001 – signaling the start of a new era for the one of the NHL’s most beloved franchises.
“In marketing terms we’re really speaking to the next generation of fans,” said Hosford. “We’re making it clear that this is not your grandfather or father’s team, it’s also your team.
“In everything we do we’re trying to accomplish celebrating the past while looking ahead.”
Hosford said the organization made a conscious decision to eschew typical hockey imagery such as “kids skating on ponds” and other “Canadiana” elements with the spot.
“We want to start speaking in a different voice with the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Hosford. “We have that permission this year because it’s our 100th anniversary and people are expecting something different.”
Sid Lee has been working with MLSE since 2014, dating back to the “It’s a bloody big deal” ad announcing Toronto FC’s signing of Jermain Defoe. The agency also oversaw the Toronto Raptors’ 2014 rebrand that evolved into the famed “We the North” positioning.
The Leafs are also using the #StandWitness hashtag in out-of-home advertising and in the digital space.
The “Stand Witness” campaign is part of a series of events commemorating the franchise’s 100th season. The team also unveiled its list of the top 100 Maple Leafs of all time, as well as three new additions – Turk Broda, Tim Horton and Dave Keon – to the Legends Row statue at the entrance to the Air Canada Centre.
