The Royal Canadian Legion and HSBC Bank Give Iconic Poppy Box a Modern Makeover

Leading up to Remembrance Day this year Canadians will have a new way of donating to the Royal Canadian Legion through a smartly designed, fully contactless Poppy box. 250 of the aptly named 'Pay Tribute' Poppy boxes have been created to give Canadians choice in how they donate while preserving the tradition of wearing a lapel pin poppy as an act of Remembrance.

They have been engineered to operate in an unattended fashion, not requiring a Veteran or volunteer to accompany them as they have in the past as the Legion looks to keep those most vulnerable safe during this ongoing global pandemic. Instead, the boxes will be placed across the country in government buildings and retail environments including HSBC bank branches.

The new boxes accept all forms of tap enabled debit and credit card payments including mobile payments options such as Apple Pay and Google pay. The new boxes are completely cashless – a significant advancement in response to a society that is carrying less pocket change and includes the added security of donations being deposited into the Legion’s bank account immediately.

The 'Pay Tribute' poppy boxes have a predetermined donation amount of $2 which allows for a truly contactless experience – circumventing the need for donors to interact with a payment keypad to enter their donation amount. A feature which is particularly important as Canadians become more reluctant to interact with surfaces they fear may be contaminated.

“Accessibility was central to the design of the new donation boxes”, said Ari Elkouby VP, executive creative director of Wunderman Thompson Canada. “An illuminated poppy with a glowing white outline acts as both an indicator on where to tap to donate and a way of standing out in busy retail environments. When a donation is made, the light turns green and an audible beep can be heard making the experience accessible for the both the hearing and visually impaired.”

The boxes are produced in Canada using durable, weather resistant materials which means they will last for years to come. The program and box design was spearheaded by Wunderman Thompson Canada and supported by technology provider Avrio Solutions with media handled by Touché. The campaign will be running from 26th October – 11th November and spans broadcast, social media, newspaper and a dedicated landing page here.