CBC/Radio-Canada has announced a full slate of TV and online programming around Canada’s 150th anniversary celebration, and is selling multi-platform national partnerships around the content.
The public broadcaster also introduced CIBC as the first sponsor for its sesquicentennial coverage, with the financial services company’s chief marketing officer, Rob Assimakopoulos, calling the event a “rare and momentous” occasion.
No details of the sponsorship were immediately available, but Assimakopoulous said that it will enable CIBC to create a “storytelling platform” for Canadians.
CBC/Radio-Canada is the official broadcast partner for SESQUI, an immersive media experience that will tour the country featuring an original 360-degree film, interactive content, live and online activities and education programs featuring the best in Canadian culture and innovation.
The two organizations say that they can build “comprehensive solutions” for brands looking to take part in the anniversary celebrations.
“Building on national pride has become an increasingly important marketing strategy for many Canadian brands, and we are exited to be able to share our impressive slate of content with advertisers through integrated, multi-platform partnership opportunities,” said Jean Mongeau, general manager and chief revenue officer with CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions.
The programming is highlighted by a 10-part series called Canada: The Story of Us, which tells the story of the people, places and events that shaped the country. Developed by Bristow Global Media, the series will combine live action and CGI, and feature interviews with important national figures.
A digital-first series, Becoming Canadian, will focus on stories from 250,000 Canadians taking the Oath of Citizenship.
Other programs planned for the anniversary celebration include True North Calling, which will follow both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young Canadians living across the Arctic; Extraordinary Canadians, featuring biographies of prominent Canadians including Glenn Gould and Rene Levesque; a one-hour This Hour Has 22 Minutes special; the adventure series La Grande Traversée, which will see 10 young adventurers recreate the epic ocean voyage of French settlers to Quebec on a three-mast yacht; and Stanley Vollant: De Compostelle A Kuujjuak, a two-part series telling the story of Quebec’s first indigenous surgeon, who is known for his walk Innu Meshkenu, aimed at raising Indigenous people’s awareness of healthy living.
