Pop culture has made humans terrifying creatures. Broken Heart Love Affair (BHLA)’s Dive Deeper campaign aims to turn terror into fascination to encourage attendance for The Royal Ontario Museum’s Sharks exhibition, on view until March 22, 2026.
Sharks invites audiences to rediscover sharks as extraordinary, essential, and deeply misunderstood creatures by bringing surprising shark facts to life across digital, social, Spotify, and out-of-home platforms throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Each creative execution encourages audiences to rethink what they know about sharks through fascinating truths, such as:
- Sharks are older than dinosaurs. They’ve survived for more than 400 million years – predating dinosaurs by 200 million.
- Some sharks can fit in your hand. While whale sharks can reach up to 60 feet in length, the dwarf lanternshark measures just 7.9 inches.
- Sharks have superpowers. Every shark can sense invisible electromagnetic fields, using this ability to hunt, navigate, and defend themselves.
“Few animals have captured the human imagination quite like sharks,” stated Sally Tindal, ROM’s chief marketing & communications officer. “These astonishing creatures have been around longer than dinosaurs, which makes it all the more alarming that they now face urgent threats to their survival. This exhibition will not only enthrall visitors, it will dispel some of the common misconceptions and spark a deeper understanding and appreciation for this fascinating species.”
“Popular media has fed us this surface-level understanding of sharks, and we ate it up hook, line, and sinker,” added BHLA creative director, Marty Hoefkes. “But if you wade into the world of sharks and get closer to the real thing, you’ll see that each individual shark has hundreds of awe-inspiring points. Hopefully this campaign gives visitors something to chew on, and brings a frenzy of voracious minds to ROM to learn more.”
Credits:
Client: ROM
Sally Tindal: Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Kathryn Brownlie: VP, Brand, Marketing & Membership
Katlyn Olo: Marketing Manager
Emily Wright: Marketing Lead
Creative: Broken Heart Love Affair
Carlos Moreno: Chief Creative Officer, Founder
Marty Hoefkes: Creative Director, Writer
Michael Morrelli: Creative Director, Art Director
Neil Watson: Studio Lead
Carly Miller: VP, Strategy
Rachelle Claveau: Managing Director
Melissa Tobenstein: SVP, Business Leadership
Kayla Christenson: Group Account Director
Gurpriya Seth: Account Supervisor
Jordyn Ferriss: Project Specialist
Production: Lifelong Crush
Terri Vegso: Head of Production
Brad Kumar: Studio Director
Raman Dhillon: Production Artist
Kate Fried: Producer
Special Effects: ID/iguana-den
Steve Mcardle: 3D Designer
Media: Cairns Oneil
Tim Hughes: Managing Director
Jennifer Blenkhorn: Communications Director
Emily Wells: Manager, Social Strategy
