3D Hammerhead Hijacks TTC to Amplify the Royal Ontario Museum's Deep-Diving Exhibition

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum, has promoted its current featured exhibition, 'Sharks: Dive Deeper', using a technical first in Canadian digital OOH.

TTC riders at the Queen and TMU (formerly Dundas) Stations were joined by a new commuter on the subway platform, a swimming hammerhead shark. The hammerhead appeared to emerge from the digital canvas walls – in the first full motion angled 3D campaign to be executed on the TTC platform level. The campaign’s creative was based on ROM curatorial expertise and guided by Cairns Oneil, with concept development from Broken Heart Love Affair and production support from Pattison Advertising.

The 'Sharks' exhibition launched at the Museum on October 11, and is fully supported by digital, search, social and OOH executions to drive visitor interest and attendance. This dynamic new complimentary campaign element is meant to build additional awareness and curiosity at high traffic locations in the downtown core of Toronto leading into the holiday season.

“When Cairns Oneil brought the idea to us, we knew we had to jump on this opportunity,” said Sally Tindal, chief marketing and communications officer, ROM. “'Sharks' is a unique exhibition – one that challenges our perceptions and takes audiences deeper into the world of this complex and fascinating species. We needed a campaign that sends that signal in a bold and original way, and this does just that. A perfect match of strategy and execution.”

“Creating bespoke opportunities for clients with partners it what sets Cairns Oneil apart,” added Jennifer Blenkhorn, communications planning director at Cairns Oneil and the driving thought leader and integrator on this campaign. “Pattison and their team were able to take the concept from BHLA and literally bring it to life, I can’t wait to see it in action and see what additional excitement this brings to the exhibition.”

While other 3D executions have been done in the past, this is the first of its kind within this format. Many people regard sharks as fearsome creatures, largely due to their portrayal in popular culture, but there is far more to this astonishing species than this depiction. This exhibition and campaign execution bring a fresh perspective on these fascinating creatures, their extraordinary diversity, and some surprising truths – that sharks predate dinosaurs, for example – while also revealing the critical role this species plays in the marine ecosystem, and the conservation threats they face today.