Canadian Bills Legend Doug Flutie
The Buffalo Bills Kick Off a New Canadian Thanksgiving Tradition in Toronto
Mosaic brought Bills Mafia together in Toronto for a distinctly Canadian take on the Thanksgiving football tradition
Thanksgiving and football have long gone hand in hand south of the border. In the U.S., Thanksgiving football comes with the traditions and pageantry befitting one of the biggest football days of the year. This Canadian Thanksgiving, the Buffalo Bills and Mosaic brought the Thanksgiving football tradition north of the border, kicking off a new tradition for Canadian Bills Mafia.
On Monday, October 12, Give Thanks, Go Long presented by Uber Eats took over El Mocambo, a landmark live music venue in downtown Toronto, ahead of the Bills’ Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams, transforming the space into a Canadian Thanksgiving celebration built around football, food, music and Bills fandom.
The idea began with a simple observation: Thanksgiving football is a major tradition in the U.S., yet Canadian Thanksgiving football doesn’t get the same love and pageantry, even though the Bills have a significant fan base just across the border. Ontarians are estimated to account for approximately 20% of attendees at Highmark Stadium on any given game day.
Created by Mosaic, Give Thanks, Go Long brought the Thanksgiving football tradition north of the border, reimagining it specifically for Canadian Bills fans.
The night kicked off with a live pregame show, hosted by eTalk co-host Tyrone Edwards and visual artist Briony. The show put a Bills spin on Canadian Thanksgiving traditions, featuring a Buffalo Bills-branded turkey, limited-edition Peace Collective merchandise, and an appearance by iconic Canadian Bills Legend Doug Flutie, who even handed out pizza to fans, courtesy of event sponsor Uber Eats.
For the takeover, Mosaic transformed the El Mocambo into a celebration of Bills fandom, covering the walls with enlarged archival photographs of the team, adding Bills branding to the floors, a giant branded mirror for fan selfies, and bathing the venue in the team’s signature blue, red and white lighting. The space then became a full watch party with fans gathering to watch the Bills take on the Rams. The Bills gave fans one more reason to be thankful, pulling off a 37–34 overtime victory over the Rams.
“Canadian fans have been showing up for the Bills for years, so Canadian Thanksgiving felt like a perfect opportunity for us to show up for them,” said Kate Hussmann, Chief Strategy Officer, Buffalo Bills. “Give Thanks, Go Long brought Bills Mafia together to celebrate football, food and community, while supporting Second Harvest and the important work it does across Canada.”
“We knew how passionate Canadian Bills fans were, but seeing them line up outside the El Mocambo to celebrate Thanksgiving with their Bills Mafia family was pretty incredible,” said Dan Berzen, Group Creative Director, Mosaic. “We wanted to take a football tradition that’s huge in the U.S. and create something that felt distinctly Canadian. Seeing the energy and enthusiasm from fans throughout the night showed us just how much this kind of experience means to them.”
The celebration also supported Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, which fights hunger by redistributing surplus food to people in need across the country. The event donated 100% of proceeds to the organization, totalling $14,000.
Give Thanks, Go Long is the latest experience from Mosaic and the Buffalo Bills designed to recognize and celebrate the team’s significant Canadian following. In September, Mosaic produced Cross-Border Completion for the Bills’ home opener, reuniting former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver Stevie Johnson at Niagara Falls to complete an approximately 50-yard pass between two boats positioned on opposite sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Credits
Title: Buffalo Bills Give Thanks, Go Long
Client: Buffalo Bills
SVP & Chief Strategy Officer: Kate Hussmann
VP, Marketing: Chris Jenkins
Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships: Debbie Slingerland
Director, Content: Zach Specht
Director, Video: JJ Territo
Director, Design: Aaron La Porta
Producer/Technical Director: Jeff Coltoniak
Marketing Manager: Briana Rossi
Influencer & Cause Marketing Manager: Kelsey Sweet
Manager, Corporate Partnerships: Peter Obletz
Coordinator, Corporate Partnerships: Aidan Brunner
Coordinator, Social Media: Grace Heidinger
Agency: Mosaic
SVP, Mosaic Canada: Paul Curtin
VP, Business Development: Caralia Gosling
VP, Client Service: Ashley Petrolo
Associate Account Director: Jesse Leger
Project Manager – Taelor Brown
Chief Creative Officer: Jef Moore
Group Creative Director: Dan Berzen
Design Director: Corey Way
Art Director: Ben Kasprow
Art Director: Ella Hüner
Designer: Jada Reynolds
Production Designer: Guillermo Osorio
Production Designer: Kelly Couperthwaite
Director, Production: Misha Gallagher
Senior Producer: Sandy Rai
Producer: Jon Kalchman
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