Telus is helping customers who want to get in shape with an integrated campaign that promotes fitness tech.
A new online mini-documentary, “Walking with Sandwiches: Ben’s New Year’s Resolution,” tells the story of Ben Pobjoy, who decided to get healthy in 2015. He committed to walking, and ended up clocking more than 5,800 kilometers and losing 100 pounds over the course of the year.
In the spot, Pobjoy (who is creative director at Behaviour, which works with Telus), talks about how listening to music and podcasts, and tracking his steps and calories burned, helped him on his journey. As he became healthy, Pobjoy wanted to give back, so he started making sandwiches to hand out to less fortunate people he encountered on his walks.
“We heard about his story and what we loved about it is that it was real,” said Denise Bombier, director of marketing communications at Telus. “Like most people, he set a goal in the New Year of 2015 to get healthy… and he just started walking.” For Telus, “this was a really inspiring way to kick-start people who have the same goals.”
Two animated online spots feature Telus’s tree frog working out, with messages like “Make the most out of every workout. It’s easy with fitness gear from Telus.” The ads promote Telus’s Learning Centre experts, who can help customers determine which fitness gear is right for them.
The spots have a throw to telus.com/betteryou, which features the latest in fitness trackers, audio devices and smart watches. Telus has also updated its fitness solution zones in its retail stores, and is promoting its fitness gear with window signage.
At the beginning of January, Telus launched a social media contest asking Canadians to share their health goals on social media using #MoveToHealthy for the chance to win a new FitbitOn. “Walking with Sandwiches” was released on Jan. 15, a time when most New Year’s resolutions start to slide. For each share of the video, Telus is donating $5 to the 60 Minute Kids’ Club, a program that helps kids stay active and healthy.
The campaign also includes digital advertising, print, direct mail, PR and out-of-home advertising in gyms. A pop-up shop tour will kick off at the end of January in gyms across key cities in Ontario as well as Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. The pop-up shops will allow gym members to demo Telus’ fitness gear during their workout, track their results on their device, buy on the spot and sign up for a Learning Centre session.
The & Partnership developed the campaign, while Behaviour created the “Walking with Sandwiches” video and the social media contest. Cossette handled the media buy and Edelman is handling PR.
