The NOW Group

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This year, The NOW Group turned 30 years young.

And we’ve celebrated by doing what we do best: Working with you to create great advertising campaigns for good causes.

As 2022 turns into 2023, we’re taking a look at some of the most memorable ads that our teams have created over the past 30 years.

Enjoy!

Walka Walka – BC Ministry of Health

Got to love the sound effects and the simple message of this Prevention Care ad from 1994. It puts a smile on our face—and a spring in our step—every time we see it.

Hard to Ignore – Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union

When it comes to the future of the public services we count on, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room. We created this ad with MGEU in 2013.

Texting Party – Manitoba Public Insurance

This hard-hitting and surprising ad drives home the dangers of texting behind the wheel. We created it in partnership with MPI in 2015.

Dodgeball – Ontario NDP

For the 2018 election, this ad helped the NDP deliver a contrast message with playful humour and top-notch performances.

As the Wind – Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada

At NOW, we’re dedicated to ad campaigns that make life better for people across Canada. And in 2022, we worked with Pauktuutit on a new public awareness campaign to help end violence against Inuit women and girls—and meet survivors’ needs.

We couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve done with our clients across Canada. And we can’t wait to show you what we’re working on for 2023!

Together, let’s do some good.

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Can advertising help solve the most complex challenges facing our communities and our loved ones?

The answer is yes.

Compelling, persuasive, and well-planned campaigns can be highly effective tools for raising public awareness about tough topics.

When they’re done right, public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma, keep people safe, and encourage healthy behaviour change can have a real impact—making it easier to start difficult conversations, encouraging more compassionate responses, and ultimately helping to make life a little bit better for more people.

At NOW, it’s the kind of work we love doing. And we know how important it is to get it right.

From reducing the stigma associated with addiction and substance use, to taking steps to stop gender-based violence, reducing tobacco use, discouraging texting-and-driving, and raising public awareness of toxic drugs, we’ve built campaigns that tackle difficult topics with care. And we’re constantly learning from our experience—and from the best behaviour change campaigns around the world.

Here are 5 of the best practices for developing effective campaigns to promote the health and well-being of our entire communities.

1. Know your audience.

It’s the best advice for any campaign. The better you know your audience, the easier it is to make every decision along the way—from messaging, to creative, to campaign tactics.

And it’s even more important advice when it comes to developing a behaviour change and health promotion campaign. It’s vital to focus on who the audience is and how they can be reached in the places, spaces, and moments when it’s possible to make a meaningful connection.

2. Listen carefully and learn everything you can.

Every campaign should be informed by research. But health promotion and behaviour change campaigns always need to be grounded in a comprehensive research plan incorporating evidence-based best practices and extensive qualitative research with the campaign’s key audiences.

Focus groups are a vital way to hear how people talk about the issues, to learn about people’s lived experiences, and to gauge people’s emotional responses. And for conversations that require even greater time and depth, discovery sessions and interviews are invaluable tools to better understand the heart of the issue and its nuances.

Listening carefully to the audience and learning from people’s experiences is essential to building a campaign that can deliver the right message—in the right tone. And, most importantly, make it possible for the audience to see their own lives reflected in the campaign.

3. Tell stories with the power to move people.

Stories have the power to move us. They shape our sense of the world. And make it possible to start to understand the complexities of life and human experience.

Instead of instructing people what to do (or not to do), behaviour change campaigns often work best when they harness the power of storytelling to reach—and connect—with the audience.

What are the stories that aren’t being told? What story would be helpful for more people to hear? And what is the story that your organization—whether it’s a government, health authority, or labour union—is uniquely placed to help share with more people?

4. Show solutions and give people hope.

The problems facing our communities—and our world—are dire. And we can all use a good dose of hope.

Campaigns that successfully move people’s minds and shift people’s behaviours don’t just focus on the problem.

They show that solutions are possible.

They might give people tangible tools, show that there are answers to even the toughest problems, or raise awareness of investments and programs that make it possible for more people to get the support, resources, and care they need.

Finding effective, succinct, and compelling ways to share those solutions is an essential part of the challenge of building a compelling behaviour change campaign.

5. Meet people where they’re at.

Media tactics are constantly changing. But the guiding principle remains consistent.

An effective health promotion campaign needs to meet the audience where they’re at.

From tried-and-true tactics to innovative new tools, understanding the audience makes it possible to develop a robust media plan that puts the message in front of the right people at the right moments.

Every campaign has a different audience and offers unique opportunities to reach the audience. From a robust out-of-home and digital presence to partnerships with sports ambassadors and influencers, a well-planned behaviour change campaign will find innovative ways to show up in the lives of the people we want to reach.

Want to explore how to develop effective behaviour change campaigns on complex issues? Give our team a call. We’re always here to learn with you—and to build great campaigns for good causes.

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Think animation doesn’t work for public issue advertising?

Think again!

There are times when animated ads can be a great option to help get your message noticed.

This fall, the Manitoba Teachers’ Society has launched a back-to-school campaign that features three unique animated ads—each designed to engage teachers, parents and the public across the province.

For too long, public education has been underfunded in Manitoba’s schools. Cuts to education have meant that kids aren’t always able to get the supports they need.

MTS is working to change that. Its new campaign calls on the provincial government to fund public education properly—and deliver the supports that students need, like more one-on-one time and smaller class sizes.

To deliver that message, the new campaign features eye-catching and snappy animated ads that have the power to stand out and get noticed.

It’s a smart move. Because our audiences are busier than ever. And effective ads need to get people’s attention in a split second, especially on social and digital platforms.

Getting noticed is half the battle. And that means the first step to a successful campaign is getting your audience to stop—and look.

Taking an animated approach is a great way to use a simple metaphor or creative hook to connect with your audience fast.

Each of the ads in the new campaign for MTS features a unique creative hook – like “90s trends are making a comeback. Cuts to classroom funding shouldn’t be one of them.”

But they all deliver a consistent message that resonates with everyone who cares about quality, equitable public education:

Funding public education matters. Let’s get it right.

Of course, animation won’t be the right creative approach for every ad campaign. It all depends on the emotional journey that you want to give your audience – and the tone your advertising needs to take to meet your strategic objectives. In most cases, live action scenes that feature real people will be able to deliver a powerful and compelling emotional experience for your viewers.

But keep animation in mind. It might just be the perfect option when you need a fast, fun, and effective way to get people’s attention—and get your message noticed.

Want to talk about the creative potential of animation for your next campaign? Give us a call. We’d love to explore all the options with you.

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Every successful ad does one thing right.

No matter what it’s trying to say or sell, a great ad has the perfect tone to meet its audience in the moment.

When it comes to public issue advertising, most campaigns take a serious tone. But there are times when the moment or the issue creates an opportunity for something different.

A lighter touch–with a little levity—could be the best tone to help get your message heard.

Here are 5 ways that humour can help reach your audience—and make a big impact.

1. Grab attention and get noticed

It’s what every ad campaign aspires to achieve. You want to break through the noise and get noticed by your audience.

Clever, entertaining, and funny ads are great at cutting through. They have the power to stop viewers in their tracks—with the promise of a humorous payoff.

It’s why every corporation tries to put a smile on their audience’s faces. But non-profit organizations, public advocacy groups, and governments often err on the side of being earnest. We’re campaigning on serious issues. But that doesn’t always mean we have to take a serious tone.

A genuinely funny campaign on an important public issue can really stand out amongst the competition. It’s not easy to do, but if you do it right, it has the potential to cut through—and be remembered—in ways that a more predictable concept might not.

Dumb Ways to Die has been viewed over 245 million times on YouTube, since it was launched by Metro Trains in Melbourne in 2012.

2. Open people up to your message

Prepare yourself because here’s a hard truth to hear. There’s lots of people who don’t want to hear your message.

After all, people live busy lives. And we’ve all become experts at tuning out anything that feels like noise.

So how do you reach people who don’t think they want to be reached? How do you talk to an audience that is happy not to hear from you?

Here’s the secret. We’ve got to find creative ways to open our audience up to a message they otherwise wouldn’t want to hear. And humour is a great way to approach a new audience.

Getting a laugh can be the first step to making a new friend—and a new supporter.

Humour can also be a great way to deliver a hard-hitting contrast message about the problem that you’re trying to solve. Because landing a tough punch with a light touch can be a more artful and compelling way of making your case.

Being earnest can be a little too intense for people who aren’t yet on your side. By taking a humorous approach to delivering your critique, you can help more people connect with what you’re saying.

3. Show that you’re relatable

You don’t have to be LOL funny!

Fun ads succeed at being relatable, friendly, and down-to-earth. Our creative team dedicates time to refining every script to make it as natural and conversational as possible.

Because a good ad should sound like your audience, with dialogue that captures how people really talk.

Think of your favourite sketch comedy shows. From This Hour Has 22 Minutes to Baroness Von Sketch, the funniest scenes are often simple scenarios that are relatable to our own lives—but give us a fresh take on everyday experience.

If your audience can see and hear themselves—and their own lives—in your ad, you’re well on your way to making an impact.

4. Bring people in and give them a gift

Good comedy is a big tent. It should bring people together. And create room for more.

An ad that takes a humorous approach can do more than just connect with your audience. It actually gives people a little gift.

A smile. A chuckle. A grin. Or a full-throated laugh. Never underestimate the value of giving people a tiny moment of levity in the midst of everyday life. That’s especially true these days because people are exhausted from a barrage of bad news over the past few years. We’re all grateful for a little lift.

Remember: Getting an emotional reaction to your ad is worth more than you might think. It’s the kind of reaction that makes you and your message memorable.

5. Show that you don’t take yourself too seriously

It’s easier to get to know someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. And the same is true for getting an audience to know your message.

You don’t want your brand to feel distant, stuffy, or detached from your audience. You want to show that your organization has a real—and likeable—personality. If you can demonstrate that your brand has a genuine sense of humour, your audience will be more interested to hear from you.

With some great creative thinking, it might even be possible to turn your least favourite brand trait… into an asset!

The Greyest Day of the Year is a great example of advertising that turns a weakness into a strength.

How do you know if humour is right… for right now?

There are lots of issues that don’t work with a humorous approach. But sometimes, the moment is right to give humour a try.

Advertising is like comedy: Timing is everything.

If you’re wondering if the timing is right, doing research will give you the answer. As always, if you listen carefully to your audience through quantitative and qualitative testing, they will tell you exactly what you need to know, including what tone you need to take to resonate with people you need to reach.

One big caveat: Comedic concepts are not easy to test! The creative often relies on a great performance with spot on timing and physicality. So if you’re testing a concept that’s designed to get a laugh, be sure to listen to the overall conversation and refine the concept from there.