Canadian Tire’s latest TV ad campaign features UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium and Thunderbird football stars Terrell and Marcus Davis, Callum Williamson, A. J. Blackwell, Dallas Yassinsky and others. Check out the video here.
How did UBC land such cinematic gold?
“It was originally approached as a venue rental,” said Kavie Toor, the Facilities and Business Development Director for UBC’s Athletics and Recreation department.
Canadian Tire was looking to rent the stadium to shoot their garden hose ad and contacted UBC’s football program. But the opportunity was too good to pass up on and Canadian Tire and UBC athletics entered into talk to partner for the TV spot.
Toor said that the ad, along with other Thunderbird partnerships like the Whitecaps and BC Lions, are the result of long negotiation processes and countless hours of behind the scenes work.
“It was an interesting experience,” said Callum Williamson, an offensive linesman for the Thunderbirds and an actor in the ad. “I figured that the directors would know exactly how they wanted the commercial to look before we even showed up but that wasn't really the case. About 80 per cent of our time was used for rehearsing.”
Williamson also said everything had to be shot twice, as there was a separate ad produced in French.
Toor and the university had other interests beyond it being an interesting experience for the players. Canadian Tire paid the athletics department and the athletes for the facility and their time, but UBC would not disclose the exact amount and Canadian Tire did not respond to a request for an interview. Toor estimated that the TV spot had over $1.5 million in advertising value for the university and the football program.
Beyond the monetary value, Toor said the partnership is part of a much larger effort by the university and the athletic’s department to grow UBC sports. Be it with Canadian Tire, the Vancouver Whitecaps or the BC Lions, UBC is looking to expand the Thunderbirds as a brand. Toor said these partnerships are a sign of things to come.
“Nothing to report on yet but of course we continue to be active on a number of fronts,” said Toor of upcoming partnerships. “There is stuff coming.... We are at the initial stages of exploring other partnerships opportunities and expect that sometime later this year.”
So stay tuned.
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