Royal Ontario Museum’s new campaign, created by Broken Heart Love Affair, showcases natural history from a new perspective
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has unveiled a new chapter in its “Immortal” brand platform that explores natural history to help people understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future.
Created by Toronto-based agency Broken Heart Love Affair, the new campaign reimagines the connection between humans and nature, encouraging viewers to reconsider humanity’s place within Earth’s vast timeline and offering a fresh look at the museum’s permanent collection.
At the heart of the Immortal: Nature’s Symphony campaign is “Opera,” a compelling three-minute film that aims to evoke a sense of awe and wonder, as seen through the eyes of the unique central character—a chimpanzee. Departing from the human-focused lens of the initial “Immortal” campaign in 2022, this iteration takes a new approach to emphasize ROM’s pillars of art, culture, and nature, reminding viewers that humanity is an incredibly small part of Earth’s expansive story spanning billions of years.
“This campaign is our love letter to the natural world – a clarion call to protect and look after our Earth and everything in it,” said ROM Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Sally Tindal. “Home to a world-class collection of 18 million artworks, cultural objects, and natural history specimens, ROM plays a vital role in our understanding of nature and the world around us, and we hope this campaign inspires people to revisit the Museum with fresh eyes.”
Directed by Rune Milton (Revolver Films), with visual effects by Copenhagen-based Chemistry Film, the film follows a chimpanzee’s interactions with diverse species and landscapes, illustrating Earth’s evolution and the resilience of the natural world. By presenting a timeline that extends far beyond humanity’s existence, the campaign invites viewers to experience ROM’s collection in a new way—one that emphasizes nature’s enduring presence.
The spot is set to music from the Italian opera L’elisir d’amore, chosen for its dramatic and timeless qualities that reflect nature’s interconnectedness. The operatic score’s complexity mirrors the intricacy of ecosystems, while its romantic sweep emphasizes the enduring beauty and connections among life forms across time.
“Our goal was to forge an emotional connection between viewers, the ROM, and the expansive realm of natural history—and what could be more powerful than opera to express that?” said Craig McIntosh, Chief Creative Officer at Broken Heart Love Affair.
“This campaign encourages audiences to engage with ROM’s permanent collection with a renewed sense of wonder, reminding them that every specimen, no matter its size, plays a crucial role in the ecosystem—just as each instrument and voice does in an opera.”
The three-minute “Immortal” film will be shown in cinemas, online, and on social media throughout the Greater Toronto Area, and will be supported by a robust out-of-home campaign.
To learn more about the ROM and its permanent collection, please visit www.rom.on.ca
About Broken Heart Love Affair
Named one of Ad Age Best Places to Work 2024, Strategy’s Bronze Agency of the Year 2024 and Small Agency of the Year 2022, ADCC Scarlet Letter Small Agency of the Year 2024, as well as Ad Age Silver Newcomer Agency 2021, Broken Heart Love Affair is a global brand agency focused on gathering the most decorated talent on a mission to bring back the love for brands, clients, and the creative community. The agency’s roster of category-leading client partners includes Burger King, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Destination Ontario, G Adventures, GoRVing, Humber College, In The Raw, Kruger Products, Lactalis, Parkinson Canada, The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, The Rec Room, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Simplii Financial, World Vision and more.
About ROM
Opened in 1914, ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) showcases art, culture, and nature from around the world and across the ages. Today, ROM houses more than 18 million objects, from Egyptian mummies to contemporary sculpture, from meteorites to dinosaurs. ROM is the most visited museum in Canada and one of the top ten museums in North America. It is also the country’s preeminent field research institute, with a diverse range of experts who help us understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future. Just as impressive is ROM’s facility — a striking combination of heritage architecture and cutting-edge design, which marks the Museum as an iconic landmark and global cultural destination.
We live on in what we leave behind.
Credits
Spot Title: Opera
Brand Platform: Immortal
Client: Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
Chief Marketing Officer: Sally Tindal
VP, Brand Marketing: Kathryn Brownlie
Manager, Marketing: Katlyn Olo
Manager, Marketing: Emily Wright
Agency: Broken Heart Love Affair
Chief Creative Officers: Jaimes Zentil, Craig McIntosh
Chief Strategy Officer: Jay Chaney
VP, Strategy: Carly Miller
Art Director: Jaimes Zentil
Copywriter: Craig McIntosh
EVP, Managing Director: Rachelle Claveau
VP, Client Success: Cass Farry
Director, Client Success: Jake White
SVP, Executive Producer: Erica Metcalfe
Production Company: Revolver Films
Executive Producer: Richard Cureton, Luc Frappier
Director: Rune Milton
Director Of Photography: Paul Meyers
Line Producer: Andrew Peterson
Choreographer: Jennifer Rose
Performer: Jennifer Rose
Casting Company: Bao Casting
Casting Director: Damian Bao
Stock Footage Company: Film Supply
Editorial Company: Chemistry Film
Executive Producer: Camilla Nilsson
Editor: Adam Nielsen
CG & VFX Company: Chemistry Film
Executive Producer: Camilla Nilsson
Creative Director: Mikael Balle
CG Supervisor: Kim Fersling
VFX Supervisor: Mario Maruska
Character TD: Dennis Bahnson
Pipeline TD: Esben Bjerring
Character Artist: Dmytro Teslenko
Rigging: Snapper Tech
Lead Animator: Gabriela Popov
Animator: José Luis de Lucas, Devika Nagarkar
CG Generalist: Dennis Bahnson
CG Artist: Daniel Karlsson
FX Artist: Esben Bjerring, Grigoriy Voyakin
Lead Lighting Artist: Aleksei Dorokhin
Compositor: Bruno Edelman, Victor Beckmann
Post Coordinator: Rose Aspöck, Jakob Witt
Colour Company: Chemistry Film
Colourist: Nurali Kushkov
Audio House: Chemistry Sound & Music
Sound Design & Mix: Kevin Koch
Record Company:
Warner Classics /Erato
Business Affairs: Makoto Nakata
Opera: L’elisir d’amore
Song: Una Furtiva Lagrima by Donizetti
Artist: Pene Pati and the Opera National de Bordeaux
Composer: Jonas Horstad Larsen
Producer: Olivier Rosset
Media Agency: Cairns Oneil
Managing Director: Tim Hughes
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