Canadian banking business, BMO, has produced a Christmas album with FCB Canada. It contains all the carols you know and love – but the words are different. The eight carols support businesses owned and operated by members of underrepresented communities.
The album is part of BMO’s annual Wrap the Good program with FCB, that provides support for a business sector that may well find this key sales period a challenge with shoppers expected to cut back on spending this holiday season. While it celebrates Canadian businesses, the album, with vocals by Candy Cane Carolers, is also available across North America.
Now in its third year, Wrap the Good is one of BMO’s key programs in support of underrepresented businesses. Despite comprising nearly one-fifth of Canada’s private sector businesses, they face more obstacles to success because of factors like a lack of access to financing or loans, and their absence from key shopping areas. So, what better way to celebrate their efforts than by referencing them in the kinds of songs that are inescapable at this time of year?
Each of the Business Carols is set to the music of a holiday standard, such as Deck the Halls for Toronto-based home retailer Spark Candles. The lyrics have been adapted to “Deck your halls with Spark Candles, Fa la la la fragrant scents so fine.” Set to the music of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, the song for Edmonton’s The Makers Keep features the lyrics, “Find holiday joy at The Makers Keep, A unique store where dreams run deep. Displaying wonders, we all can cheer. Great gifts, all so dear.”
“We’re bringing a new holiday experience to shoppers by revitalising nostalgic songs as a reminder of a more mindful way to give—with BMO Wrap the Good,” stated Jennifer Carli, BMO head of enterprise brand, social and content. “As the festive season bustles with shoppers, we’re making it even easier to discover gift ideas from underrepresented businesses through our dedicated website, BMOWrapTheGood.com. In doing so, we aim to make the holidays brighter for all.”
Here are the businesses participating in this year’s program:
- Beauty and wellness retailer Niffy Signature (Here We Come A-Carolling)
- Beauty and wellness retailer Soft & Butter (O Christmas Tree)
- Gift box company Black Bow Gift Co. (I Saw Three Ships)
- Beauty and wellness/food and beverage retailer Apple Hill Lavender Farm (Jingle Bells)
- Home and living retailer Campy Home (Good King Wenceslas)
- Clothing and accessories retailer My Ol’ Blues (Out On The Housetop)
- Home retailer Spark Candles (Deck the Halls)
- Handcrafted and local goods retailer The Makers Keep (We Wish You A Merry Christmas
FCB Canada has also created advertising that mimics the promotion for popular record and CD clubs. The ads feature an excitable announcer informing listeners of a new album that’s arriving just in time for the holidays and featuring their favourite songs like they’ve never heard them before.
The Business Carols are available for streaming onSpotify and will appear where customers are spending time during the holiday season—such as holiday-themed radio stations, and YouTube playlists dedicated to holiday standards. To reach as many people as possible, the songs will also provide the soundtrack for BMO’s gift-wrapping station at the Toronto Eaton Centre, the busiest shopping centre in North America, where carollers will also be on hand to sing the songs in person for some extra festive cheer.
“You can’t escape holiday music. It’s everywhere,” commented Caleb McMullen and Hussein Rumaithi, associate creative directors at FCB. “Many of these songs are well over 100 years old. What better way to spotlight underrepresented businesses than to write them into the lyrics of overexposed holiday songs shoppers already know and love.”
All of the advertising drives to BMOWrapTheGood.com, where visitors can shop from featured businesses, find products, sort by product or business type, or create a wish list to share on their social channels.
Find the carols on Spotify:
Here are the pasrtners’ previous Christmas efforts:
Credits:
Client: BMO
Chief Marketing Officer: Catherine Roche
Head of Enterprise Brand, Social and Content: Jennifer Carli
Director, Brand Management and Enterprise Marketing & Content: Mallory Fantham
Senior Marketing Manager, Enterprise Marketing & Content: Ivana Dillon
Senior Marketing Manager, Brand & Sponsorship Advertising: Ann-Marie Beauchemin
Marketing Manager, Brand, Quebec: Camille Larose
Enterprise Marketing Coordinator: Aidan Bonner
Creative Agency: FCB Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna
Executive Creative Directors: Andrew MacPhee & Jeremiah McNama
Associate Creative Directors: Caleb McMullen & Hussein Rumaithi
Designer: Rittee Prak
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little
VP, Client Service Lead: Erin Howes
Group Account Director: Ali Gayowski
Account Executive: Sophia R’Bibo
Senior Broadcast Producers: Adriana Laborde & Alexandra Postans
Integrated Producer: Anastasia Gal
Business Lead MTL: Michael Watier
Project Lead MTL: Isabelle Dion
Translator MTL: Olivier Laplante
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown
Senior Strategist: Stephanie Gyles
Post Production House: 456 Studios
VP, Director of Studio Production: Kendra Plantt
Executive Producer: Elise Beauvais
Director of Editorial and Animation: Tyler Strahl
Creative Editor: Rod Reano
Audio House: Grayson Matthews Audio
Music Director: Mark Domitric
Producer: Sharon Yokoyama
Sound Engineer: Vlad Nikolic
Carol Singers: Candy Cane Carolers
Media Agency: UM
PR: Shannon Stephaniuk, Glossy
