A CAMPAIGN TO CUT THROUGH THE NOISE AND CHANGE THE CONVERSATION
How Action Canada turned polarization into momentum — and helped change hearts and minds.
With a provincial election looming in New Brunswick and reproductive/trans rights becoming prominent election issues in the region, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights needed to make a real impact. The stakes were high: trans youth rights, abortion access, and sex education were all on the line. But in a crowded, hyper-partisan media landscape, the question wasn’t just what to say — it was how to say it in a way that would break through.
Through focus groups, interviews, and research with queer and trans individuals, a clear insight emerged: polarization — especially online — was shutting down meaningful dialogue. People weren’t changing their minds; they were retreating into their corners. The campaign needed to spark real conversation, not just more content.
We developed “Get Offline and Talk”, a campaign that encouraged people to pause the algorithm and have real-world conversations. Every detail was intentionally crafted to disrupt the norm — from shooting on 35mm film and driving the reels overnight for processing in Boston because that was the only way to hit a rushed deadline, to using ACTRA actors to protect real stories. Campaign assets included bilingual video, downloadable education guides, PR activations, and even radio scripts. It was unignorable. And it was entirely aligned with Action Canada’s values.
This campaign launched across multiple channels — YouTube, Meta, Google Display, radio, and more — with a lean but high-impact media strategy designed to stretch every dollar. Our in-house team used live dashboards in Google Looker Studio to optimize daily, and the campaign was bilingual and accessible. Assets were adapted in real time based on what resonated most with New Brunswickers on the ground.
“This project made me reflect on my own activism over the years, and on the many times I’ve built very strict barriers with people I didn’t see eye to eye with on issues I’m passionate about, Over time, that’s meant I’ve created a small and insular community that agrees with me. That community isn’t big enough to enact the revolutionary changes I want to see in the world. So I now realize it’s time to listen to understand versus listen to win. And that hearts-and-mind changing is a real long game that starts by finding commonality and shared values. Which aren’t as hard to find as one might think, as long as you actually look for them.”
Zach Zimmel
Principles, CEO and Strategy Director
3M+
impressions across all platforms
15,000+
clicks to the campaign microsite
550,000+
video views
More Than a Campaign. A Statement.
This campaign wasn’t just about reach. It was about rebuilding public discourse around some of the most contentious issues of our time. Our transparent, flexible deployment model let us optimize every asset and channel, without being locked into rigid vendor relationships. The result? A strategic intervention that flipped a narrative — and helped flip an election.
