Canada Brings the Heat before Rio 2016 with Ice In Our Veins Campaign

TORONTO — With just 100 days to go until the next Olympic Games, The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) launched its Rio 2016 brand campaign Ice In Our Veins – the largest campaign in Team Canada’s history.

The campaign builds off the success of the COC’s Sochi 2014 #WeAreWinter campaign. This campaign highlights how Canada’s icy landscape helps create fierce athletes with iron will and determination – regardless of whether they compete at a winter or summer Games.

Developed by ad agency Cossette, the campaign includes a cinematic 60-second spot, a 30-second spot, out-of-home, digital, and seven specially created 10-second spots to be used on digital channels.

For the first time ever, the campaign was shot at a central location, bringing 12 athletes together over a two day period on a remote beach on Georgian Bay, with more than 40 hours of video footage shot and edited. The 12 Rio 2016 Olympic hopefuls include:

• Jennifer Abel, Diving (Montreal, QC)
• Heather Bansley, Beach Volleyball (Waterdown, ON)
• Aaron Brown, Athletics – Sprints (Toronto, ON)
• Mandy Bujold, Boxing (Kitchener, ON)
• Ryan Cochrane, Swimming (Victoria, BC)
• Mark de Jonge, Canoe/Kayak Sprint (Halifax, NS)
• Liz Gleadle, Athletics – Javelin (Vancouver, BC
• Sarah Pavan, Beach Volleyball (Kitchener, ON)
• Catharine Pendrel, Mountain Bike (Kamloops, BC)
• Milos Raonic, Tennis (Thornhill, ON)
• Katerine Savard, Swimming (Pont-Rouge, QC)
• Justyn Warner, Athletics – Sprints (Markham, ON)

Ice In Our Veins, a three month campaign, was unveiled first on Team Canada’s digital channels and via the social media platforms of Canada’s athletes to give fans the very first look. On July 1 – Canada Day – it will launch more widely to all Canadians via TV/video, print, out-of-home, digital and social with further details around some exciting new partnerships coming soon.

olympic.ca: Cinematic proof that Canada’s Rio hopefuls have ice in their veins

Credit list:

Advertising Agency: Cossette, Canada
Chief Creative Officers: Peter Ignazi, Carlos Moreno
Director: Mark Zibert
Production House: Skin and Bones
Editing House: Saints Editorial
Media Agency: OMD
Communications Agency of Record: North Strategic

QUOTES

“Our Olympians taking on the world for Rio 2016 aren’t just summer athletes, they are Canadian athletes. Winter is in our blood and is part of our DNA. This campaign taps into our summer athletes’ swagger, who have the attitude of taking on all comers. It’s a stunningly shot, cinematic celebration of the heart, grit, fire of our Canadian athletes competing in Rio. It recognizes winter made us who we are and defines us as a country no matter the season our athletes compete in.”

Derek Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee

 

“When it comes to sports, people like the back story as much as the event itself. In Canada, the story that gets written by others from around the world is that we are a winter country and that holds true. Winter makes us tough- it makes us even stronger … in all sports.”

Peter Ignazi, Chief Creative Officer, Cossette

 

“It is an incredible honour to be a part of the Ice In Our Veins campaign for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We are a winter nation, and that shapes and influences everything we do, including our training and preparation for the summer Games. It makes us tough, and that Canadian grit is what I will bring to Rio.”

Jennifer Abel, two-time Olympian, London 2012 bronze medallist

 

“Representing my country in the Ice In Our Veins campaign for Rio 2016 is a huge honour. I love how our rugged Canadian landscape is such an important part of this campaign. It gives me great pride to know that I am sharing this connection with my fellow Canadians who also identify with this mindset.”

Milos Raonic, London 2012 Olympian

 

“To me, Ice In Our Veins, represents the grit and toughness of Canadian athletes, how we’ve used our environment as a driving force and inspiration for our strength and fearlessness.  I love how the campaign plays on the winter theme.  Historically our nation is a winter sport power house, but now it’s time for summer athletes to show the world that we are capable of being a strong summer sport nation.  It is my goal to help Canada increase the profile of summer sport, as well as bring awareness to women’s beach volleyball in Canada, by winning a medal in Rio.”

Heather Bansley, Rio 2016 Hopeful

 

“It was a true honour to be a part of the Ice In Our Veins campaign and to work with such a world-class production crew. To be included in such a project with some of Canada’s top athletes was both humbling and inspiring, and it makes me even more determined to make Canada proud in Rio this August. Ice In Our Veins is a fantastic slogan for Rio 2016, and is something I will think of in the critical never-say-die moments I will encounter in my pursuit of Olympic gold.”

Sarah Pavan, Rio 2016 Hopeful

 

“It’s fresh and unique. You can feel the intensity burning within the athletes. The vigor, the power, the focus that’s shown in this campaign is exactly what will fuel our team to success in Rio.”

Casey Wade, CEO, Canoe Kayak Canada

 

“The Ice In Our Veins campaign captures the character of our athletes as Canadians and the intense conditions they train in. It’s also exciting to see that for the first time, a National Sports Federation’s logo is co-branded in a Team Canada campaign. Thank you to the COC for including us in such an incredible initiative.”

Ahmed El-Awadi, CEO, Swimming Canada