If there’s a restaurant-sports bar chain competition (of course there is), Boston Pizza has just won it in Canada. Mekanism has given Boston Pizza the love of Canada’s hockey fans with its rallying behind the national team, and the attention of everyone else in Canada with an epic idea – summoning divine intervention – and mad humour. Canada’s hockey teams have not won the Stanley Cup for thirty-two years. The last Canadian winner was the Montreal Canadiens team in 1993. This year, Boston Pizza has called on the Hockey Gods to oversee the playoffs (Christian, Greek and Norse, just to be sure).

The campaign is born in hockey culture (and internet chatter), where fans talk about the Hockey Gods influencing game outcomes and superstition runs high. The hero commercial is a mad fantasy in which Boston Pizza brings the Hockey Gods down to join mortals and bring the NHL cup to Canada.

Beyond the usual campaign mix – TV, OLV, in-restaurant, OOH and social activations – are Hockey God bobbleheads; kits with Hockey God prayer candles, holy rink water, holy pucks, and prayer cards designed to bring playoff luck home; influencer-led social content featuring prominent hockey fans tapping into the power of the Hockey Gods to rally a win on home ice; OOH activations in playoff team cities, including a Sistine Chapel-inspired mural in Edmonton; game-day mullet makeovers for fans in Edmonton…and a website where the Hockey God humour continues.

The campaign aims to make Boston Pizza the go-to destination for fans hungry for a win.

Credits:
Client: Boston Pizza
Client Team: Peter Blackwell, James Kawalecki, Niels Van Oyen, Sean Megna &  Tonia Oseibonsu

Creative Agency: Mekanism Canada
Executive Creative Director: Julie Nikolic
Creative Directors: Mike Blackmore & Chris Obergfell
Strategy Director: Ian Barr
Account Team: Heather Mirynech & Sierra Haddleton
Design Director: Leah Renihan
Production Designer: Anna Lew
President: Peter Bolt
General Manager: Edith Rosa

Production Company: Steam
Director: Matt Atkinson
Executive Producer: Jill Brennan
Head of Production: Dan Rankin

Grade: Feather
Colour Producer: Hannah Stone
Colourist: Kevin Wu

Post Production & VFX: Motomotus
VFX Artist: Lauren Rempel
Executive Producer: Morgan Campbell

Editing: Nimiopere
Editor: Steve Puhach
Edit Assistant: Shalini Menon
Executive Producer: Jenna Edwards

Music & Sound: Ta2 Sound + Music
Audio Director: Drew Frohmann
Executive Producer: Dana Gadsden
Sound Designers: Adam Ive, Andrew Fumerton
Sound Designer & Engineer: Ken Lo

PR: Heads & Tales
Media: UM