great creative builds brands faster^TM

THE SITUATION:

A gallery in the midst of a metamorphosis, the AGO had shuttered its doors for a massive Frank Gehry led renovation. With such a massive investment in one of Canada's foremost galleries, advertising needed to drive a renaissance in how Torontonians saw their gallery. There was only one problem – we had no art and no visuals of the new gallery to work against.

THE PLAN:

Torontonians, when exposed to images of how the gallery would look, often placed it in Paris or New York. We needed to make them understand that this world-class gallery was in their own backyard. To do so, we leveraged the same insight we had found in our street research; an amazing gallery like the AGO made people do a double-take, thus "whoa, gotta go" was born.

THE IDEA:

The agency developed a creative concept that was welcoming in tone and approach, bold and fresh in its expression, and unlike how any gallery had spoken to people before. Print and television were supported by creative uses of media that supported our insight and work. Evolving wild postings around Toronto mimicked a protest movement; "Free Henry Moore!" or "Free Tom Thomson!" and became messaging about the AGO's free opening days. For the grand opening, a mock "sick-note" from Dr. Henry Moore (a prominent English sculptor) was affixed to the front of the Globe & Mail excusing you from work with a case of "mustseeagosis"!