You Won't Be Able to 'Unthink' This Surreal New Campaign for Banff Centre

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the renowned post-secondary arts training institution in Alberta, Canada, has launched its first consumer focused creative campaign since unveiling a new brand identity and strategic plan in 2016. Titled Things You Can’t Unthink, the artist-driven platform articulates the unique experience of artists as part of Banff Centre’s immersive training programs. The experiences are so perception-changing that one cannot unthink them.

“Banff Centre programs offer unparalleled learning opportunities where artists are given the opportunity expand their practice and create work under the guidance of world class faculty. Like all artistic expression, these works alter perspectives, provoke conversations, and provide experiences that people remember forever,” says Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity President and CEO, Janice Price. “Just like Banff Centre, the Things You Can’t Unthink campaign is a bit groundbreaking and always curious. It stays with you.”

Developed in partnership with creative agency Cossette, Award-winning Mexican director Rodrigo Garcia Saiz, and Albertan conceptual photographer Justin Poulsen, Things You Can’t Unthink uses artist content to create a surreal world of fascinating moments through video, print, and digital executions. The campaign title is born out of a contemporary art exhibition of the same title, curated by Banff Centre’s Walter Phillips Gallery curator, Peta Rake.

The campaign consists of one launch film and three print pieces, which aim to illicit a range of emotions from intrigue to amazement, to replicate the unforgettable experience Banff Centre offers.

“Banff Centre’s artist-driven experience is what gave birth to the Things You Can’t Unthink platform. Regardless of whether the work makes you feel love, intrigue, curiosity, or magic, you’ll experience something you can’t unthink. That is the beauty of this execution,” says Jason Chaney, Chief Strategy Officer at Cossette.

"We love an opportunity to explore new creative possibilities and find music that enhances a visual experience," adds Elijah B Torn, Senior Creative Director at MassiveMusic New York. "Cossette came to us with a musical vision that needed to match the unthinkable nature of the campaign. An original piece was an obvious choice, throat singing was chosen to compliment the uncomplimentary."

“Things You Can’t Unthink is an articulation of what Banff Centre stands for and accomplishes year round through its programs,” adds Carlos Moreno, Chief Creative Officer at Cossette.

The spot will run for four weeks on TV and in cinema. Print and out-of-home ads will be in the marketplace into May.