Piétons Québec
A beautiful advertising initiative
Talents on the mandate
Promoting walking as more than just a leisure activity was the challenge we faced in the new "Tous Piétons" campaign entrusted to us by Piétons Québec. Encouraging walking as a mode of transportation, especially to suburban residents who heavily rely on cars, posed a significant challenge. In advertising, the power of humor should never be underestimated, especially when trying to convey a difficult message.
We can easily imagine the stooped walk of an elderly person slowing down, or conversely, the brisk stride of a businesswoman rushing to work for her Monday morning meeting. We can envision the exciting yet formal walk of a traditional wedding march, or the determined, graceful, and elegant walk of a flight attendant. We can think of the simple daily walk that takes children to school, or the greatest walk in human history: the one that allowed man to walk on the moon. In short, our way and reason for walking are very revealing, and from this reflection emerged the concept: "Show off your beautiful walk!"
For the message to become subliminal, it needs to be supported by a slogan that has the power to generate images in people's minds. From a marketing perspective, we know we have something strong when the slogan operates on two levels and these levels support the campaign's objectives. Firstly, we ask you to see walking as a style, which of course gives it added value. Secondly, we encourage you to take action and adopt a lifestyle change that leads you to use walking more as a mode of transportation. The French language is highly precise, and the choice of words is crucial.
To this end, we brainstormed and presented three scenarios and storyboards to the Piétons Québec team, ranging from very traditional to quite quirky. We were delighted that our client showed openness by choosing a scenario that was quite original. The tone is friendly, light-hearted, non-judgmental, bordering on the absurd, and set in a context where people exude happiness—that sums up our approach well. We envisioned a series of sequential vignettes featuring various colorful characters, representing our target group: essentially everyone! Filmed in the suburbs, for suburbanites, we carefully situated the action between well-maintained and safe pedestrian crossings. Each video concludes with a catchy tune emphasizing that walking knows no age, gender, or specific reason, and can be enjoyed anytime, in complete happiness.
It's great to envision the right scenario, but it's also crucial to select the right actors to portray each role.
A variety of static and animated visuals were designed to meet the needs of the placement strategy established in collaboration with our strategists and the client. A campaign of this scale requires multiple format adaptations to meet broadcaster requirements. In today's reality, each platform has its own characteristics, making it important to stay current in our field.
Because walking as a means of transportation is just as valid in winter, Piétons Québec has decided to extend our mandate. To encourage people to enjoy our beautiful Quebec winters, we have launched a mini campaign in the form of animated visuals on social media, showcasing four everyday moments in winter where it is wise and even beneficial to walk from point A to point B.
DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT
IN MIND?
Do you have a great idea and want to bring it to life? Fill out the form below with the details of your project. We would be delighted to discuss your vision and see how we can collaborate to make it happen.