Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie…the Billboard

//  06.02.26

TBWA just turned an alternate timeline into a real campaign for BMO

A fake ad from the cult film Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is now appearing in Toronto in an “art imitating life imitating art” moment from TBWA and BMO.

In the cult film, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol accidentally travel back to 2008, creating an alternate timeline where Jay becomes “The BMO Guy,” appearing on a giant digital billboard in Toronto’s Sankofa Square.

Now the fictional moment has become real.

From May 27–June 3, BMO will “glitch” its digital boards in Toronto’s Sankofa Square, temporarily replacing its current spokesperson, Lamorne Morris, with Jay McCarrol, as though an alternate timeline is bleeding into this one. The campaign will also extend into the city through wild postings placed around key Toronto locations featured in the film, supported by influencer content and social amplification.

Fresh off winning six Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Lead Performer in a Comedy Film, and Best Supporting Performance in a Comedy Film, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie has now spilled into real life in downtown Toronto.

It’s not every day a brand gets written directly into the plot of a cult movie, then decides to make the joke real in downtown Toronto.

Client: BMO
Chief Marketing Officer & Head, Social Impact: Catherine Roche
Chief Brand Officer: Jennifer Carli
Director, Brand & Sponsorship Advertising: Danielle O’Hanley
Senior Marketing Manager, Brand & Sponsorships Advertising: Alexandra Sherwin

Agency: TBWA
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Executive Creative Director: Jeremiah McNama
Associate Creative Director: Joseph Vernuccio
Senior Art Director: Sanna Kula
Junior Copywriter: Meagan Frew
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little
VP, Client Service Lead: Erin Howes
Account Supervisor: Amanda Valdes
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
Senior Strategist: Clair Parker

Media: UM
Ben Graham, Supervisor, Media Planning
Danish Khan, Senior Buyer, Integrated Investments
Cristina Intzempelis, Buyer, Integrated Investments

Categories
BMO, Pop-Culture, TBWA

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