Royal Canadian Mint Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Hockey’s 1972 Summit Series with Vintage Illustrative Nostalgia

The Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating its new limited two-dollar circulation coin commemorating the 1972 Summit Series, through an energetically animated campaign from McCann Montreal.

The agency has been helping the Crown corporation use commemorative coins to instill a relevant connection with a new generation of Canadians by bringing to life timeless Canadian heritage moments in a timely and modern manner.

To celebrate the new Summit Series coin, McCann created a 15-second video that taps into the vibrant and colourful retro-spirit of 1972 hockey culture. The video begins with a live-action shot of the new coin at centre ice, before a world of superimposed illustrations take the viewer through a fast-paced skate from the athletics of the 1972 game, to the unity of the nation, to then the impact on a new generation of younger hockey players today.

RCM_Summit Series_15_ENG from McCann Canada on Vimeo.

The spot’s modern fusion of real-world and animation-world design aesthetics follows a shift this year in the Mint’s visual treatment of their “History of Making Change” platform — which started with the launch of the new Oscar Peterson coin. Each of the coin launch videos start off with real-life contemporary settings before being mixed with graphics, illustration and motion design.

According to Dave Roberts, ECD at McCann Montreal, the design shift was about moving away from factual heritage realism to a storytelling that’s more contemporary and distinctive for a younger Canadian. “You’ll notice that with the Summit Series and the Oscar Peterson videos, each coin has a unique visual identity that is contextual to the cultural story being told,” says Roberts. “And by ensuring that we always play with real-world and animation, we’re reflecting the Mint’s role to bring the timeless heritage moments to life in timely, modern and eye-catching ways.”

The Summit Series was an eight-game hockey series between Team Canada and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) national team, in September 1972 — providing one of, if not the greatest, uniting moments in Canada’s sporting history. The global face-off humbled both nations, with Canada ultimately taking the victory in the final game.

The bridge between the past and the present doesn’t just rest in the Mint’s visual treatment, but also the details of things like voice-over talent. The Summit Series’ video was V/O’d by Juliette Roy from the McGill Martlets hockey team, while the Peterson coin was narrated by Daniel Clarke-Bouchard, who was a protégé of one of Peterson’s mentees.

McCann Montreal has held AOR creative duties for the Mint’s business since 2020. It has been behind other commemorative coin-launch campaigns such as the 100th anniversary of the Bluenose fishing and racing schooner in 2021, where it reimagined its 100-year-old race, live on Twitter.

“With the commemorative circulation program, our goal is to help Canadians gain a better understanding of our shared history,” says Tom Froggatt, chief commercial officer at the Mint. “The coins, and the awareness campaigns behind them, are a great way for Canadians to engage with the stories that have contributed to the fabric of our heritage. The more we manifest those moments of history in a relevant way, the more people will appreciate the past, and in turn, perhaps develop an interest in setting aside the special circulating coins they find in their change.”

The limited circulation Summit Series coin will also be available to purchase for collectors at www.mint.ca/summitseries. Media Experts oversaw all media planning and buying for the campaign. The campaign’s spot will run nationally until October 23rd.