Engage Canada

Engage Canada are a non-partisan organization founded in advance of the 2015 Canadian federal election to advocate for action on issues that impact middle and working class Canadians across the country.

I played a key role in the strategic planning, research, creative development, writing and production of the first Engage Canada campaign. This campaign was so powerful that it has been cited by Macleans magazine as a primary motivation for the early election call in 2015. The subsequent length of the campaign has been noted as a key reason for the Conservative Party of Canada’s loss by national and international publications, including Globe and Mail, National Post, Metro News, BBC and The Guardian.

I provided these services again for Engage Canada’s second campaign during the lead up to the 2019 federal election, which sought to define Conservative candidate Andrew Scheer as a weak leader that wouldn’t stand up to corporate greed. This narrative frame was quickly picked up by the press and public, contributing to the failure of his campaign. The ad featured above, which I produced and helped conceive, won a prestigious 2020 Reed Award for Best Canadian TV Advertisement.

SisterSpace

SisterSpace, located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, is Canada’s first women-only overdose prevention site.

I directed this short documentary on behalf of the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health (CEWH) and Atira Women’s Resource Society. It highlights the unique trauma and gender informed approach of this shared using room, where women with lived experience are helping each other heal.

This documentary was supported by a series of videos I also directed for the CEWH, intended to teach service providers about using a trauma and gender informed approach. They can seen on the CEWH’s YouTube channel.

Botero

Botero is the definitive profile of one of the world’s most popular living artists. It is an intimate, in-depth and inspiring portrait of this monumental artist, weaving together original footage shot in 10 cities across China, Europe, New York and Colombia, with decades of family photos and archival video. Unprecedented access to the artist and his family is combined with a colourful cast of historians, curators and academics to reveal the creativity and convictions in the heart of this towering genius of a man.

This feature-length documentary has been screened at dozens of film festivals globally and had limited theatrical runs in most major territories. I served as a Post Production Supervisor and Associate Producer, helping see the film finalized and translated into numerous languages for international distribution.

UFCW 1518

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518 (UFCW 1518) wanted a complete brand refresh. I led the development of a new communications strategy and brand style guide.

The communications strategy redefined UFCW 1518’s core brand components, while the brand style guide provided comprehensive standards for all new branding elements.

We launched the refreshed brand with a new website with an increased focus on member success stories and community work, as well as business cards, t-shirts, a new sign for the head office, and other branded materials. The refreshed UFCW 1518 brand has been widely embraced by members and leadership.

Visit ufcw1518.com to see the revised brand.

Working Ontario Women

Working Ontario Women (WOW) was formed to ensure women’s issues are advanced in Ontario politics, by providing women with a platform for taking action.

I helped lead the development of the WOW brand and communications strategy. I also provided writing, video direction and production services, as well as social media management.

WOW’s first campaign focused on a significant television buy, while online we also employed a range of tools, including short videos, Facebook engagement ads, display advertising, and petition campaigns that generated email addresses. Members were asked to sign up, organize, and act to support issues.

So far WOW has attracted over 99,000 members on Facebook.

Visit actwow.ca to see the website I wrote for them.

SickKids

The SickKids’ Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences department is the largest pediatric ophthalmology centre in North America.

To drive awareness about their work, attract fellows and increase donations, I helped them to create their first ever annual report and a departmental website.

Collaborating with Tennis, a Toronto-based design agency, we created a communications strategy and gave the department their own brand that adhered to the larger SickKids brand standards. I also led all copywriting efforts.

Vancouver Economic Commission

In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to show that business could be a critical agent for change.

I worked with VEC to develop the “Vancouver Climate Pledge” campaign, which asked local businesses to sign a pledge to support strong action on climate change. I provided video production services for this campaign.

The campaign was launched with a website where pledges could be collected, while social media and a digital video was used to drive the audience to the website. The “Vancouver Climate Pledge” campaign was a resounding success. Over 200 businesses in Vancouver have signed the pledge.

We Need Legal Aid

British Columbia’s legal aid system had been facing a funding crisis for many years, leaving women, children and senior citizens in critical situations that expose them to danger. Working for the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch, I served as the creative director and copywriter for a multimedia campaign that spoke to government and the public about the fallout of underfunding legal aid.

I created the “We Need Legal Aid” brand and “Real Justice Means Fair Access” slogan, as well as directing a series of interview videos with women that faced the difficulties of navigating the legal system without legal aid. I also wrote the campaign website, managed the social media campaign and developed promotional print materials. Following the release of this campaign, the BC Government provided additional funding for legal aid, as well as revising the Family Law Act to help mediate family disputes out of court.

Ambleside-Dundarave BIA

The Ambleside-Dundarave Business Improvement Association is a new organization that needed a full brand identity, as well as a strategic marketing plan to help raise awareness about this growing commercial area in West Vancouver.

Our main objectives were to establish a parent ADBIA brand, with individual identities for Ambleside and Dundarave, create a three-year plan for the ADBIA’s marketing efforts, and encourage local business owners to get involved in the ADBIA’s initiatives.

I led the development of the branding, communications strategy and marketing plan. I also provided copywriting for their new website and other products.

Visit adbia.ca to see the brand in action.

Vision Vancouver

In 2014, Mayor Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver team sought re-election in the Vancouver municipal election.

Serving as creative supervisor for the party’s advertising team, I helped develop the campaign’s strategic direction, and produced numerous advertising products in multiple languages, across mediums such as TV, print, radio and social media. From direct mail to micro-targeted Facebook ads, if the campaign released an advertising product, I had a hand in conceiving it, writing it and providing art direction. Beyond strategic and creative development, I also provided services including media buying, digital targeting and broadcast production.

Following the campaign, Mayor Gregor Robertson was elected for a third term, and Vision maintained a majority on city council.

BC Ministry of Environment

In 2012, the BC Ministry of Environment wanted to reaffirm their commitment to climate action by presenting a strategy to grow BC’s green economy at GLOBE, one of the world’s leading sustainability conferences.

Serving as creative director and lead copywriter, I helped write, design and develop this important document. We also created promotional materials, including a website, business cards and a QR Code Temporary Tattoo, which linked to the website and was handed out to GLOBE participants.

I have since worked on all annual environmental strategy reports and communication strategies, including the most recent CleanBC strategy. I also provided writing services for the Ministry’s contribution to the Pan Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change and drafted the historic Vancouver Declaration.