National Trust for Canada
The Story
Borealis Creative was initially approached to help the Trust navigate “The Heritage Reset” – a strategic project for the field of heritage conservation in Canada and for the organizations and individuals whose work promotes the use and re-use of existing buildings and the conservation of significant sites and landscapes.
The objectives of the Reset were to better align heritage conservation to be useful and more meaningful to a broader public; to acceleratethe heritage movement’s impact as a positive, essential, progressive force; and to reposition the economic value of heritage places. The project was initially conceived pre-pandemic by a group of project partners including representatives from the IHC, Heritage BC, CAHP, the National Trust and others. The original intent was to create a public awareness campaign to strengthen heritage organizations across Canada in meeting their goals.
Deliverables
Research & Strategy
Brand Architecture
Identity and Sub-brands
Website
Brand Video
Strategic Approach — Connecting a movement to what really matters
As a result of extensive and collaborative conversations, public and sector surveys, conference meetings and discussions with a diverse range of stakeholders and groups, a series of thematic headlines and principles were crystalized to reflect the key priorities, beliefs, and issues to advocate for, both inside and outside the sector. These principles were formulated to help link the heritage movement to the broader social issues people fundamentally care about.
Based on these principles and key messages, a campaign strategy to raise awareness and advance calls to action was recommended to draw attention to the outcomes of this multi-year project while laying the groundwork for a national public awareness campaign.
Branding strategies proceeded from the belief that if we can help audiences connect heritage to what matters to them – including audiences often ignored or underrepresented, and young people, who are the future – we can:
Motivate people who may be on the periphery of heritage but don’t think of themselves as part of the movement or don’t know how to get involved.
Achieve greater strength in numbers, and ultimately to achieve advocacy gains and systemic changes by having more people who care and take action.
Messaging included drafting foundational inspiring language that clearly answers questions: who we are; what we care about (what we believe, our values); what we do (the impact of our work, how we live those values); what we want to do (our vision for the future).
Motivating interest and care
Fundamental to the strategy was the need to translate the Trust’s strategic priorities into campaign creative and language designed to engage and mobilize a general audience while at the same time helping to unify the sector around key messages and a shared understanding of the goals, practices and challenges of heritage conservation.
An overarching theme was crafted to rally around and introduce the means to take action. Resource materials to support the campaign and the calls to action drill down into the key messages providing heritage organizations across Canada with the means to create their own case for support for fundraising or local advocacy campaigns.
The first phase of the project was completed with the launch of the website in April 2024:
Brand Video
A brand video was produced to announce the new identity and highlight Canada Lands continued commitment to the Park’s future. The narrative is consistent with the brand’s persona reinforcing the new brand’s purpose, while reminding and inviting visitors to participate in all the experiences the park has to offer. The video highlights the park as vital urban escape, a place for discovery and reconnection.
