Canada’s Heart Calls and World Media Awards Answers
Travel Manitoba’s brand refresh getting noticed by multiple international awards competitions.
As Travel Manitoba approaches the first anniversary of its new brand, the verdicts are coming in from around the globe: the campaign is a hit. Manitoba was recognized on a global stage when the Travel Manitoba brand refresh campaign Canada’s Heart Is Calling received a finalist nomination at the World Media Awards.
The World Media Awards recognize international brands, agencies and media partners who create the most effective, content-driven advertising campaigns in various sectors. This year’s nominees included notable names such as adidas, Volkswagen and Visa. In the Travel & Tourism category, Manitoba was up against campaigns from London, Wales and Abu Dhabi. The awards show in London is represented by major media outlets including The New York Times, Forbes and The Washington Post, and the panel of judges consisted of 37 marketing, advertising and business professionals from around the world.
Alex Varricchio, Co-Owner of UpHouse, the marketing and PR agency who worked with Travel Manitoba on the brand refresh, said:
I can’t describe what an honour it is to be considered for such an amazing award. It’s really special to see our medium-sized, Manitoba-made agency up against some of the largest brands in the world. I couldn’t be prouder of our team and the work we put forward in partnership with Travel Manitoba to represent our home province.
Travel Manitoba’s marketing has won many other awards, including an Hermes Creative Award 2023 and a NYX Award.
The Canada’s Heart is Calling campaign captures the emotions one feels when exploring Manitoba, whether that includes viewing the northern lights dancing in the sky, participating in an authentic Indigenous experience or visiting a world-class museum. In collaboration with local artists and retailers, Travel Manitoba and UpHouse created impactful videos, user-generated social media ads and eye-catching merchandise to launch the refreshed brand at a media event in January 2023.
Colin Ferguson, President and CEO of Travel Manitoba, stated:
It’s no easy task to stand out in an incredibly competitive tourism market, so being finalists and winners at these competitions shows how big of an impact Manitoba has on a global scale. We’re thrilled that international marketing experts recognize how we are effectively showcasing our beautiful province.
The digital campaign generated 26.8 million impressions, 40,000 digital ad clicks, 1.8 million video views and 512,000 visits to travelmanitoba.com. The launch event generated 240+ media clippings with a reach of 140+ million total potential audiences from online, print, radio and TV.
Cody Chomiak, Travel Manitoba’s Vice President of Marketing, added:
We’ve loved seeing the response to the campaign from Manitobans, Canadians and beyond. We’re very proud of all the work UpHouse and Travel Manitoba have done to put this province on the map, and we can see how much it’s excited travellers. We’re looking forward to creating more campaigns that embody the beauty of Manitoba.
About UpHouse
UpHouse Inc. is an award-winning, diverse owned marketing and public relations agency. It is a certified diverse supplier through Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce and is B-Corp Certified. With the mandate to inspire social consciousness of brands, UpHouse works with organizations to develop their brands, campaigns and stories and elevate messages that needs to be heard. The agency works to make communications authentic, accessible and diverse.
About Travel Manitoba
Travel Manitoba is a Crown Corporation under provincial legislation that leads and stimulates sustainable tourism growth in Manitoba’s $1.8 billion tourism industry. In partnership with the tourism industry, the agency is responsible for tourism marketing, visitor information services, research and public information.
