Petro-Canada Spotlights the Importance of Trucking with Emotional Tale of Reunion

In a country as vast as Canada, long-haul truckers are an essential part of daily life. Not only do they transport food, fuel and other critical goods across vast distances, but they do so with meticulous consistency, facilitating supply chains from coast to coast.

Despite their pivotal role, however, this demographic is seldom the recipient of praise and recognition, let alone marketing endeavours. And, it’s for this reason that Petro-Canada – a corporation which firmly believes in making life on the road a little easier – launched a new campaign for national trucking week titled ‘Special Delivery’, celebrating these efforts as part of its ‘Live by the Leaf’ brand platform.

“It’s important to us that we find ways to show our support for Canada's trucker community,” says Dave Fath, general manager, brand marketing at Petro-Canada. “Truckers are often overlooked or underappreciated, yet they play one of the most vital roles in keeping our nation supplied, connected and moving forward.”

Created by McCann Canada, the work depicts one trucker’s journey to reunite a child with a lost stuffed bunny. Breaking away from the typical imagery associated with the profession – big rigs, powerful machinery, and the toughness of those who drive them – according to Bill Schaefer, creative director at McCann Toronto, the work was intended to celebrate the humanity of those who voluntarily endure the hardships and isolation of the road.

“This campaign was about telling a story that goes beyond the number of kilometres truckers travel on a weekly basis,” he explains. “We wanted to remind people that behind every delivery is a person who makes sacrifices to keep Canada running.”

While ‘Special Delivery’ isn’t the first time Petro-Canada has celebrated long-haul truckers, this year’s approach took things further, drawing inspiration from real-life moments. Not only was the story shaped by the true tale of a good Samaritan trucker in British Columbia, but the spot’s dialogue was based on a real conversation between the mother and daughter during the casting process.

In turn, McCann Canada’s creative team and OPC director duo Jon + Torey were tasked with amalgamating these moments with themes of generosity and going the extra kilometer for fellow Canadians – values that ‘Live by the Leaf’ emphasises – all of which combined to lend the creative an extra layer of authenticity.

“Even though we rely on truckers for nearly everything in our lives, they aren't generally top of mind,” Bill adds. “We used the story of returning the stuffed animal as a way to frame the functional aspect of delivery into something that will resonate with people on an emotional level, and therefore be more memorable.”

Such commitment also translated to the casting and shooting processes. Not only was the lead role of ‘Grady’ played by a real Canadian trucker, Mike Dosanjh – who did all the driving himself – but the creative and production teams went the extra distance, travelling to Alberta to film across the province on 16mm film.

“We wanted to capture the spirit of a long journey, and shooting there gave us a varied landscape including snow, mountains and beautiful winding roads,” Bill recalls. “Anytime you attempt a production this size, there are going to be challenges, but thanks to great partners and our trusting, collaborative clients, the entire process was a joy to be a part of.”

With the work officially in market, running across social and online video, and appearing in theatres starting December 5th, both the agency and the brand hope that viewers will gain an all-new appreciation for truckers, and the lengths they go to each and every day. However, Bill emphasises that ultimately, the real privilege isn’t necessarily the response, but getting a chance to celebrate the people who keep Canada running.

“There’s a lot to be proud of here, from casting a real truck driver, to watching the friendship between the mother and daughter actors blossom into something that produced such a great voiceover under the spot,” he concludes. “But, I think the thing I’m most proud of, personally, is that we found a way to pay honest and sincere tribute to a group of people who we simply could not live without.”