Making hope contagious in Toronto

The 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election came as a complete surprise, with voters returning to the polls less than 8 months after John Tory had been re-elected as Mayor. 

We had a short timeframe, limited resources, and our work cut out for us. Some Torontonians had never heard of Olivia Chow. To others, she was a household name. Some liked her. Others did not. In only four weeks, we needed to meet voters wherever they were, position Chow as the best candidate to step into the mayor’s office, and get them to the polls.  

This was not going to be a cakewalk. First of all, with more than one hundred candidates, this election was a crowded playing field. Chow had run before; favoured to win in the 2014 Mayoral election, she came third behind conservative-leaning John Tory and, now Progressive Conservative Premier, Doug Ford. 

In fact, for more than a decade Toronto’s mayors had been conservative. And in 2023 the city was facing tough times—rising rents, lack of jobs, horrendous traffic—the kind of issues that tend to favour conservative politicians.

Olivia Chow has an extraordinary story. She was not born into privilege, and her life has had many challenges to overcome. Immigrating to Canada when she was young, her childhood was scarred by poverty and violence. As an adult she faced serious health challenges including overcoming cancer, later losing her husband to the disease.

This was not your typical politician. Oliva Chow had lived a life of challenge, strength, and resistance. Her story was the story of many Torontonians, and her ability to connect with people on a deeply personal level was genuine.

The campaign’s rallying cry was loud, emotive, and motivational. Drawing on Chow’s strengths, telling her story, and magnifying her relatability, we were able to convince voters that together, we could build the city they wanted and needed, led by someone who truly understood what the community was facing. We re-introduced Olivia Chow to the city as their best shot at the Toronto they want: caring, affordable, and safe.

For those who didn’t know Olivia Chow yet, we put her everywhere—radio, video, digital ads, wild postering. 

For the sceptical voters who weren’t sure if they liked Chow (or any politicians for that matter), we built a  brand that reflected her personality. The colour scheme was bold and unique. Angled graphics and cropped type mirrored the vibrance and energy of her campaign. Video and radio ads presented someone relatable and compelling. Not a run-of-the-mill political elite, but someone whose experiences gave her real empathy for the challenges voters were feeling. With no time to pause for a video shoot, our team turned obstacles into opportunities, deploying an agile crew to follow Olivia on the campaign trail. The footage of her unscripted interactions with real Torontonians highlighted her genuine charisma and energy.

And for people who already knew Olivia Chow, and liked her, we made sure they knew that they were not alone. Delivering ads with surgical precision, we amplified the momentum of the campaign, ensuring a wave of voters turned out at the polls.

With memorable visuals, a direct yet empathetic message, and at the core of the campaign, a woman who represents the city–the hardship and the hope–we told a story about a Toronto that everyone could believe in. And the rest, as they say, is history.