Boston Pizza Calls in The Hockey Gods to End Canada’s 32-Year Playoff Drought
New campaign by Mekanism turns superstition into a full-scale playoff platform
For more than three decades, Canadian hockey fans have been waiting. This playoff season, Boston Pizza is done leaving it to chance.
Introducing The Hockey Gods, a new campaign by Mekanism built on a simple idea: if nothing else has worked to help bring the cup back to Canada, it might be time for divine intervention.
The campaign imagines the Hockey Gods descending to Boston Pizza to watch the playoffs alongside fans and, hopefully, tip the balance back in Canada’s favour. That’s “favour” with a “u”.
The comedic campaign launches with a 30-second spot that introduces the idea of the Hockey Gods descending to help end Canada’s playoff drought. It opens on an ordinary city street before a surreal shift. Thunder cracks like a goal horn. Clouds flash red. Hockey pucks rain from the sky. For 32 dark years, Canadian hockey teams have come up short in the playoffs, so this year, Boston Pizza is waking up the Hockey Gods.
A series of 15-second cutdowns play out like episodic moments, featuring the Hockey Gods hanging out at BP alongside fans. Inside the restaurant, they mingle with mortals, debate missed calls, accept offerings of beer (not sacrificial animals), and reveal their roles in the game, including the “God of the Goalposts” — we love that sound, too.
“We know how much belief and ritual are part of playoff season,” said James Kawalecki, VP of Marketing at Boston Pizza. “This campaign taps into that energy in a way that feels familiar and a little larger than life, giving fans a place to gather, take part in the superstition and maybe even help shift the odds.”
The idea extends across a fully integrated platform spanning TV, OLV, in-restaurant, OOH and social activations:
– Hockey God bobbleheads, available at local BP restaurants.
– Media kits, with Hockey God prayer candles, holy rink water, holy pucks, and prayer cards designed to bring playoff luck home.
– Influencer-led social content featuring prominent hockey fans tapping into the power of the Hockey Gods to rally a win on home ice.
– OOH activations in playoff team cities, including a Sistine Chapel-inspired mural in Edmonton.
– Consumer activations, including game-day mullet makeovers for fans in Edmonton.
– In-restaurant takeovers, including menu, posters and in-venue details tied to the campaign.
Together, it positions Boston Pizza as the go-to destination for fans hungry for a win (please, Hockey Gods) and hungry for BP. Now in its third year under this strategy, the goal remains clear: finally bringing the Cup home to Canada.
“This takes something every fan already believes in and pushes it further,” said Mike Blackmore, Creative Director, Mekanism. “After 32 years, we thought it was time to stop leaving it to chance and bring the Hockey Gods into the experience, turning superstition into something fans could actually see, share and take part in. ”
The campaign launches nationally on April 18 and runs as long as the Hockey Gods are with us.
PR is led by Heads+Tales, UM handled the media buy, and the campaign is directed by Matt Atkinson at Steam Films.
Credits:
Campaign Title: The Hockey Gods
Client: Boston Pizza
SVP, Marketing & Communications: Peter Blackwell
VP, Marketing: James Kawalecki
Director, Marketing: Niels van Oyen
Marketing Manager, Brand Programs: Sean Megna
Associate Marketing Manager, Brand Programs: Tonia OseiBonsu
Agency: Mekanism
President: Peter Bolt
SVP General Manager: Edith Rosa
SVP Director of Strategy: Ian Barr
Executive Creative Director: Julie Nikolic
Creative Director: Mike Blackmore
Creative Director: Chris Obergfell
Group Account Director: Heather Mirynech
Account Supervisor: Sierra Haddleton
Design Director: Leah Renihan
Designer: Anna Lew
PR: Heads and Tales
Co-CEO & Co-Founder: Katie Muir
VP: Lauren Orlando
Associate Director: Andrea Chick
Account Manager: Madison Gerrie
Sr Account Executive: Sophia Ntentes
Account Executive: Sharmaine Ehi-Akatue
Media Agency: UM
Senior Director, Connections Planning: Michelle Arksey
Manager, Connections Planning : Quinn Harris
Senior Planner, Connections Planning: Klaidi Shehi
Assistant, Media Planning and Buying: Sam Tanenbaum
Manager, Integrated Investments: Robert Fornasiero
Production House: Steam
Executive Producer, Jill Brenan
Head of Production: Dan Rankin
Director: Matt Atkinson
Editing House: Nimiopere
Editor: Steve Puhach
Assistant Editor: Shalini Menon
Executive Producer: Jenna Edwards
Colour Transfer: Feather
Colour Producer: Hannah Stone
Colourist: Kevin Wu
Audio House: Ta2 Sound & Music
Audio Director: Drew Frohmann
Executive Producer: Dana Gadsden
Production Coordinator: Annmarie Kay
Sound Design: Adame Ivem, Andrew Fumerton, Ken Lo
Engineer: Ken Lo
VFX & Finishing House: MOTOMOTUS
VFX Artist: Lauren Rempel
Executive Producer: Morgan Campbell
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