Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Canada’s largest museum, is evolving under the direction of an ambitious goal.It intends to change the way people think about the role of the museum and its place in the city. ROM has dedicated itself to changing outdated perceptions of the museum and ensuring Ontario’s future generations see ROM as a central cultural experience for them, a place of belonging, a place where people come to better understand the events shaping our world today. 

To highlight its transformation, Broken Heart Love Affair has given the museum a new brand voice, ROM Immortal, and a six-minute film, directed by Canadian filmmaker, Mark Zibert. The new brand signals ROM’s intention to open its doors wider to a new generation of museum-goers and help build back culture in the city and province after Covid.

“Now, more than ever, people are looking for new ways of understanding, and new ways of connecting with their community,” stated Josh Basseches, director & chief executive officer of ROM. “And with today’s launch, we are using our platform to reimagine our role in the community and bring Ontario back to culture.”

The brand platform was designed to articulate ROM’s vision and to change the way people think about the Museum, communicating to audiences that ROM is an institution that will ask the big questions, invite discussion, and present stories through many perspectives.

“Starting today, ROM is turning up the volume, ushering in a new era and dynamic new voice with the launch of our brand platform, ROM Immortal,” noted Lori Davison, ROM chief marketing & communications officer. “At its core, is the message that we live on in what we leave behind, quite literally through the objects found in the Museum, but also, through the legacy of what we all leave behind as citizens of the world and stewards of this planet. Every object in ROM is a portal to stories with the relevance that can speak to something we are facing today; igniting important cultural conversations. Immortal, as a platform, speaks to the legacy of these objects and the immortality of these stories.” 

The film, led by Broken Heart Love Affair’s partners & chief creative officers, Carlos Moreno and Denise Rossetto, chronicles the story of existence and reflects the scale of ROM and its collection. It is an important record of who we are, the marks we leave on ourselves, each other and the world. 

“ROM understands the power of art to provoke, inspire and reframe understanding,” Rossetto stated.. “In a world full of constant debate, cultural institutions, like ROM, can provide an unfiltered record of the truth through our collective history, both the devastating moments and our most inspiring. Our vision with this film is to challenge past views and confront timely issues, to include multiple voices and perspectives, inviting discussion, debate, and self-reflection.”

ROM has also been given a new visual identity by Leo Burnett Design to highlight its transformation, expressed in a logo, typography and photography. The identity will be used in marketing communications, exhibition and programming materials and the building for years to come.

The full campaign will be running throughout the Canadian summer in cinema, OOH, digital, using the 90 second version of the film. The full film will live on ROM’s YouTube channel. Paid media was managed and executed by OMD. No Fixed Address managing public relations.