As Telus readies to launch its latest national multiplatform advertising campaign, the telecom company is asking Canadians to help pick the next brand critter through a Facebook contest.
The winning critter will be featured in television, print and online executions from Taxi that will launch towards the end of August, in time for the back-to-school season.
For the first round, participants were given two weeks to place one vote per day for a critter in each of the following categories: Small Wonders, Big Awesomes and Cool Classics. Each category had nine critters, for a total of 27 options.
Over 290,000 votes were cast, pushing the Saw Whet Owl, the Otter and the Pot Bellied Pig into the next and final round. The winning critter will be announced June 3.
Canadians are passionate about the brand and the animals featured in its advertising, so it made sense to allow them to have a say in what critter Telus uses next, said Anne Marie LaBerge, vice-president of marketing for Telus.
“If there’s one consistent discussion around our brand, it’s around the selection of a critter,” she said.
Each participant is entered into a draw for the chance to win a trip for two to Africa, including a safari at the Kruger National Park and a visit to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Lake Victoria.
In addition, Telus is donating $1 to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for each vote, and has met its fundraising goal of $100,000.
Telus is promoting the campaign using social media channels as well as radio and online ads. Also, radio hosts within the Astral network will push listeners to the contest site.
