| Philosophie | While many brands have inserted themselves into the COVID crisis in a positive way and provided financial relief, Desjardins, along with Bleublancrouge Toronto and the Humanise collective wanted to do all that, and more. They believed it wasn’t enough to just say something meaningful in order to boost spirits after three long, hard months of physical distancing and isolation. They wanted to do something meaningful. Throughout this global pandemic, in Canada and around the world, nothing has healed the human spirit quite like music has. From balcony sing-alongs to star-studded online concerts, music has become the best vaccine we have. Yet most musicians have not been able to work since the crisis began. In an effort to support both out-of-work Canadian musicians, and those in our community who need their spirits boosted more than ever before, we created Send A Solo. Send A Solo is a massive two-week-long initiative that generously employs musical artists to perform solos for those who need them most. From the elderly and immuno-compromised to frontline workers and families with small children, over 100 musical solos, will be personalized and uniquely designed to bring both joy and relief to some of those who have been most negatively impacted by COVID. The Send A Solo initiative is lovingly brought to life on film by seven different musicians who were chosen to perform live solos, in full accordance with the strict physical distancing laws that still exist in most of Canada. The resulting series of eight films will launch the two-week initiative. The films invite Canadians to nominate a family member, friend, neighbour, or co-worker for one of 100 virtual solos, which will be created by Desjardins and 40 professional musical artists from across Canada. The 40 musicians were chosen from the more than 400 who applied, and they represent a wide range of styles and genres. Media strategy was designed by Glassroom, a Bleublancrouge sister company and also a member of the Humanise collective. An extensive media partnership with Bell Media was developed for this authentic and much-needed initiative. With audiences flocking to news and televisions during confinement, TV was essential. Together with Desjardins, Bleublancrouge and Bell Media produced content in parallel agile streams, at unprecedented speed. Officially launching on Friday May 22, the Send A Solo initiative includes a comprehensive takeover of Bell Media’s television, radio, digital and social properties in key markets across Canada. The takeover features unique content and ways to integrate the virtual solos into dedicated segments that will appear on Bell Media’s daily in-house productions, including Your Morning, CP24 Breakfast, The Marilyn Denis Show, The Social and E-Talk. Throughout the initiative, two to three virtual solos will be released on Desjardins Group’s Facebook account and YouTube Playlists every day. Send A Solo will also be amplified via custom content featured on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts of individual Bell Media programs and Much Studio influencers. Send A Solo is just one of many initiatives led by the Desjardins Group to support their customers’ communities and to help Canadians navigate the impact of the pandemic. |