As a founding component of the City of Montreal, the Port of Montreal is at the heart of celebrations marking the city’s 375th anniversary in 2017. In fact, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is running a special advertising campaign this year that draws on the port’s wealth of history.
The campaign was launched in February with a digital ad in La Presse+. A few days later, billboards started to pop up on streets near the Port of Montreal showcasing the vital role that the port has played in Montreal’s development through time. The campaign has a playful tone and is oriented around historical facts that are both simple and impactful. The three variations on the history theme are:
• Avant de la fonder il fallait y débarquer (You have to go ashore to build a city);
• Avant les cargos il y avait des canots (Before cargo ships there were canoes); and
• Par ici sont arrivés vos ancêtres (This is where your ancestors arrived).
The campaign has been held throughout the year, in the digital media and on billboards. A special advertisement was also created for July 1 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada.
Ogilvy Montréal developed the campaign for the port.