Hudson's Bay

How does a company with a rich Canadian history celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday? By going back to its roots as a brand defined by exploration and adventure. Harnessing the pioneering spirit at the core of the Hudson’s Bay Company, TORQUE Strategies developed an experience-driven fundraising program to drive engagement and create something memorable for all Canadians.

The program was built upon three pillars:

• The Grand Portage, travelling 14,000 kms across the country and visiting 150 communities
• The Celebration Tour, a 10-stop activation at Cadillac Fairview shopping centres, featuring a pop up cabin store, a custom retail collection and celebrity guests;
• The Collection, a 58-piece retail collection with all proceeds going to complete the remaining 2,200km of the Great Trail – the longest trail in the world.

Over 66 days, we saw 201 million earned media impressions, 25 million social media impressions, 100% merchandise sell-through and $1 million donated to connect the Great Trail.

This immersive experience not only captured the imagination of Canadians from coast to coast but also industry peers, earning Gold for the Best Canada 150 activation and an Award of Distinction for Best New Initiative at the SMCC Sponsorship Marketing Awards. It also won Silver for Customer Experience – Retail, at the Canadian Marketing Awards.