BMO has holiday shoppers singing a new tune with the drop of new album, “Business Carols”
This holiday season, you won’t have to go fa-la-la-la far to find continued evidence of BMO’s commitment to supporting businesses owned and operated by members of underrepresented communities.
As part of its annual “Wrap the Good” program, which provides support for this vital business sector during a key sales period, BMO has built an “album” featuring holiday-themed songs about eight underrepresented businesses. While it celebrates Canadian businesses, the album, with vocals by Candy Cane Carolers, is available across North America.
Now in its third year, “Wrap the Good” is one of BMO’s key programs in support of underrepresented businesses. Despite comprising nearly one-fifth of Canada’s private sector businesses, they face more obstacles to success because of factors like a lack of access to financing or loans, and their absence from key shopping areas.
With shoppers expected to cut back on spending this holiday season, these businesses could be further jeopardized during a key sales period. So, what better way to celebrate their continued efforts than by referencing them in the kinds of songs that are inescapable at this time of year?
Each of the “Business Carols” is set to the music of a holiday standard, such as Deck the Halls for Toronto-based home retailer Spark Candles. The lyrics have been adapted to “Deck your halls with Spark Candles, Fa la la la fragrant scents so fine.”
Set to the music of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, the song for Edmonton-based The Makers Keep features the lyrics “Find holiday joy at The Makers Keep, A unique store where dreams run deep. Displaying wonders, we all can cheer. Great gifts, all so dear.”
“We’re bringing a new holiday experience to shoppers by revitalizing nostalgic songs as a reminder of a more mindful way to give—with BMO Wrap the Good,” says Jennifer Carli, BMO’s Head of Enterprise Brand, Social and Content. “As the festive season bustles with shoppers, we’re making it even easier to discover gift ideas from underrepresented businesses through our dedicated website, BMOWrapTheGood.com. In doing so, we aim to make the holidays brighter for all.”
The businesses participating in this year’s program are:
· Beauty and wellness retailer Niffy Signature (Here We Come A-Carolling)
· Beauty and wellness retailer Soft & Butter (O Christmas Tree)
· Gift box company Black Bow Gift Co. (I Saw Three Ships)
· Beauty and wellness/food and beverage retailer Apple Hill Lavender Farm (Jingle Bells)
· Home and living retailer Campy Home (Good King Wenceslas)
· Clothing and accessories retailer My Ol’ Blues (Out On The Housetop)
· Home retailer Spark Candles (Deck the Halls)
· Handcrafted and local goods retailer The Makers Keep (We Wish You A Merry Christmas)
To further promote the “Business Carols,” BMO’s agency partner FCB Canada has created advertising that mimics the promotion for popular record/CD clubs. The ads feature an excitable announcer informing listeners of a new album that’s arriving just in time for the holidays and featuring their favourite songs like they’ve never heard them before. View it here.
The “Business Carols” are available for streaming on Spotify, and will appear where customers are spending time during the holiday season—such as holiday-themed radio stations, and YouTube playlists dedicated to holiday standards. To reach as many people as possible, the songs will also provide the soundtrack for BMO’s gift-wrapping station at the Toronto Eaton Centre, the busiest shopping centre in North America, where carollers will also be on hand to sing the songs in person for some extra festive cheer.
“You can’t escape holiday music. It’s everywhere,” say Caleb McMullen and Hussein Rumaithi, Associate Creative Directors at FCB. “Many of these songs are well over 100 years old. What better way to spotlight underrepresented businesses than to write them into the lyrics of overexposed holiday songs shoppers already know and love.”
All of the advertising drives to the dedicated hub BMOWrapTheGood.com, where visitors can shop from featured businesses, find products, sort by product or business type, or create a wish list to share on their social channels.
Credits:
Title: BMO Business Carols
Campaign: BMO Brand Wrap The Good 2023
Client: BMO
Chief Marketing Officer: Catherine Roche
Head of Enterprise Brand, Social and Content: Jennifer Carli
Director, Brand Management and Enterprise Marketing & Content: Mallory Fantham
Senior Marketing Manager, Enterprise Marketing & Content: Ivana Dillon
Senior Marketing Manager, Brand & Sponsorship Advertising: Ann-Marie Beauchemin
Marketing Manager, Brand, Quebec: Camille Larose
Enterprise Marketing Coordinator: Aidan Bonner
Creative Agency: FCB Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Executive Creative Directors: Andrew MacPhee, Jeremiah McNama
Associate Creative Directors: Caleb McMullen, Hussein Rumaithi
Designer: Rittee Prak
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little
VP, Client Service Lead: Erin Howes
Group Account Director: Ali Gayowski
Account Executive: Sophia R’Bibo
Senior Broadcast Producers: Adriana Laborde, Alexandra Postans
Integrated Producer: Anastasia Gal
Business Lead MTL: Michael Watier
Project Lead MTL: Isabelle Dion
Translator MTL: Olivier Laplante
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
Senior Strategist: Stephanie Gyles
Post Production House: 456 Studios
VP, Director of Studio Production: Kendra Plantt
Executive Producer: Elise Beauvais
Director of Editorial and Animation: Tyler Strahl
Creative Editor: Rod Reano
Audio House: Grayson Matthews Audio
Music Director: Mark Domitric
Producer: Sharon Yokoyama
Sound Engineer: Vlad Nikolic
Carol Singers: Candy Cane Carolers
Media Agency: UM
EVP Client Business Partner: Kate Mateer
VP Client Business Partner: Ryan Hunter
Senior Director, Connections Planning: Sarah Sopik
Manager, Connections Planning: Marc-André Giasson
Connections Planner: Ben Graham
Social Associate Director: Arturo Valenzuela
Social Account Manager: Cristian Garrido
Director, Talent & Influencer Content: Annelie Gutgesell
Senior Content Strategist, Talent & Influencer Content: Melissa Hoffman
Search Senior Campaign Manager: Wali Hossain
Manager, Integrated Investment: Karen Cameron
PR: Shannon Stephaniuk, Glossy
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