In an effort to make tennis Canada’s number two sport, Tennis Canada and Toronto agency Bensimon Byrne have teamed up for “Not all kids in Canada want to play hockey,” a campaign that carries the message that tennis is an accessible alternative to hockey – Canada’s biggest sport passion.
The campaign, which is aimed at the parents of young kids, consists of three 30-second TV spots, the first of which will air when the Rogers Cup kicks off in Toronto and Montreal this week.
The spots feature kids who are bored by hockey, but who light up when served a tennis ball. The ads conclude with an appeal to tennis enthusiasts to donate to Kids Tennis.
Joseph Bonnici, creative director at Bensimon Byrne (Tennis Canada’s agency of record), said the goal of the campaign is to simply make parents aware that tennis is affordable, accessible and a worthwhile sport that promotes healthy living. The intention, he said, is not to discredit or “put down” hockey, but rather to highlight an alternative.
“Hockey is a religion in Canada. In a few years time, if we could say tennis was number two, that would be amazing,” Bonnici said. “We want to let Canadian kids know there is another sport they can play.”
Two of the three spots will air in heavy rotation during the Rogers Cup on Sportsnet, RDS and SRC starting this week. The third will make its debut during the Canadian broadcast of the Davis Cup on Sportsnet and TVA Sports. The campaign will then run for the rest of the year.
