BACKGROUND
Since the end of the First World War, November 11th has been a day to honour veterans around the world and to raise funds to support veterans in need. In honour of Canadian veterans who served their country in the Canadian Armed Forces, HomeEquity Bank was the proud presenting partner for the fourth consecutive year of the Legion National Foundation’s Digital Poppy Campaign for Remembrance Day.

This year, the Legion National Foundation and HomeEquity Bank presented the Letters Home campaign – a unique way to help share with Canadians of all ages a poignant reminder of the many wartime sacrifices of Canada’s veterans.

IDEA
During the world wars, Canadian soldiers overseas sent millions of letters home to Canada. Many of these letters have been archived – and offer poignant insights into the experience of war, and the longing for home felt by the soldiers. Our idea was to create replicas of actual letters written by soldiers in WWI and WWII and to re-send them to their original destinations – to be experienced by the homes’ current residents.

Genuine letters were sourced from the Canadian Letters & Images Project at Vancouver Island University, the largest online archive in the country, which makes them available to the public.

The campaign featured a thought-provoking 30-second video that included powerful quotes from actual letters and conveyed both the importance and power of wartime letters. Canadians could also see the letters brought to life in their own neighbourhoods, courtesy of national out-of-home advertisements across the country. Additionally, Canadians across the country can visit our website and search for letters that were sent near (or to) their own home.

Letters Home offered a unique and insightful window into the past, bringing a human face to war beyond stats and names, while also effectively using QR code technology of today to help drive poppy donations.

RESULTS
The Letters Home campaign immediately drew attention to Canadian veterans and their experiences. Despite a limited media budget, the campaign generated significant online media coverage across Canada with over 23.4 million media impressions, including Toronto Sun, Postmedia, and the front page of the Times Colonist. CBC Radio-One Toronto aired an extended five-minute segment featuring the letters and its goals, and influencer content from Jennifer Valentyne shared on Instagram and Facebook created additional reach of over 80,600.

Most importantly, HomeEquity Bank helped raise over $189,029 in individual donations for veterans and their families.