Have You Heard the One About the Moose That Walks Into a Real Canadian Superstore?

Every holiday campaign aims for heart, but very few do it through the eyes of a moose. For Real Canadian Superstore’s new Christmas spot, ‘The Invitation’, ONE23WEST set out to express the retailer’s belief that all Canadians – no matter what their background, culture or community – deserve to feel welcome. Their solution? A quietly charming tale told through a character who is at once iconic, unexpected and deeply relatable.

Supported by Partners Film, Loblaw Agency, Walker Music and BaconX, the team crafted a film that balances realism with whimsy, sentiment with restraint. To get the full story behind how Canada’s native creative directors Kyle Waye (copy) and Jake Bundock (art) take LBB’s April Summers inside the process, discussing everything from the initial brief to the emotional architecture of the story.

LBB> Let’s start at the beginning, what was the initial brief from Real Canadian Superstore, and how did the idea of centering the story around a moose first come to life?

Kyle> One major thing that Real Canadian Superstone stands for is serving all Canadians in all different kinds of communities. They offer such a wide selection of products so they have something for any Canadian, but then they also tailor their offerings based on the communities. So for this campaign, they really wanted to tell a higher-level story about Christmas and inclusivity. We went down a bunch of different paths, and this was the idea that kept rising to the top.

LBB> Why do you think that was? The moose feels like such an iconic yet unexpected choice, why did it feel like a suitable symbol to represent togetherness and inclusivity in a way that felt distinctly Canadian, but also universal?

Kyle> Exactly, I think it’s what you said. It felt iconic and unexpected, and also whimsical. It felt like a way of telling the story of no matter who you are, where you're from or what you do, we all celebrate the holidays differently. And this felt like a really cute, sweet way of showing an observer, who is literally looking in through the window to see how other people are celebrating. This work shows that while we all view these things differently, what makes the holidays special is doing it together. Then, we chose the moose because it was this expected beast, right? But at the same time, it is actually very cute and iconically Canadian.

Jake> Moose are very solitary animals too, so the idea of having this big solitary animal wanting to be included in everybody's fun, felt very sweet.

LBB> The story carries a real emotional warmth and restraint, what was the creative balance between sentimentality and realism that you aimed for in the tone and pacing?

Kyle> It's funny you say that because throughout this process we explored so many different tones. From super slapstick and goofy to super earnest and heartfelt. As the ad started to come together, it began to make more sense for the moose to represent this outsider, but he's not too sad. The viewer can tell he wants something but we were balancing his wanting for togetherness with the warmth and togetherness that is taking place inside the Real Canadian Superstore. And then eventually he does get that, right at the end. Making the moose a little bit more photorealistic, instead of cartoonish and goofy, helped make the whole thing feel a little bit more real and relatable.

LBB> Bringing a CGI moose to life convincingly is no small feat! What was the collaboration with the post production team at BaconX like?

Jake> They were fantastic. We had a great rapport with them. They really pulled out all the stops and a fantastic partner for us.
Kyle> They loved the story so much. As soon as we briefed them, they were pitching ideas and coming up with ways to customise things. They showed us so many tests and offered up so many kinds of variations along the way. They took it further than we ever could have imagined.

LBB> Everyone involved was excited to get behind such great Canadian creative – how lovely! So, the moment when the store colleagues welcome the moose inside feels like the heart of the film. I’d love to know how you approached that moment creatively, both in script and visual direction?

Kyle> It’s interesting because, part of this is a metaphor for how Real Canadian Superstore does welcome all Canadians. And the way it acts as a community hub because everyone gets groceries, right? People from all over Canada are welcomed there with open arms. So, having this idea of this character that's so different but still gets welcomed in, channels that same brand message.

But I think we also needed to end it on a happy note. We couldn't have the moose trail off and be sad forever. It felt like a natural ending for us to both communicate the brand message while also ending our story on a positive note.

Jake> When we were talking about how the script comes together, there was a lot of discussion about how “inclusivity starts with visibility”. In the case of the moose, when he gets to the store, that first moment where he's actually spotted, is a nice inclusive moment where he gets seen for who he is and invited in.

LBB> The campaign is titled ‘The Invitation,’ which feels both simple and profound. How did that idea evolve and how does it reflect Real Canadian Superstore’s broader brand positioning around inclusivity and community?

Kyle> Its part of the end message. There is this voiceover at the end and the message, “the magic of the holidays is made together.” This came from a simpler thought: sometimes the greatest gift you can give is just an invitation. Welcoming people in speaks so clearly to what Real Canadian Superstore is all about and what the holidays are all about, too.

LBB> I understand that ONE23WEST worked in tandem with the Loblaw Agency for this campaign, so how did that partnership shape the creative process and ensure the work stayed true to the brand’s voice?

Kyle> Basically, we were working together very early. Even when we were coming up with multiple script ideas, we were checking in with each other along the way. By the time we landed on one concept, we were all on the same page and they were already thinking about how they would translate it for in-store, radio and retail.

LBB> Finally, what does this campaign represent for ONE23WEST creatively? Do you see it as a continuation of a certain storytelling approach, or does it signal something new for the agency’s direction going forward?

Kyle> I think it's part of something that we've been trying to do recently, which is approaching storytelling with 100% feeling. So whatever we do, we want it to be 100% something. And I think for this one, it was just 100% emotion. We are dedicated to maintaining that approach – and the response so far has been great.

LBB> Is there anything else you wanted to mention that might not come across to those watching the spot?

Kyle> Well, in terms of the emotion and feeling for this spot, hitting all the right notes had a lot to do with the music. When you look at the ad, the main hero is the moose, the big CG animal. But Walker Music, who we worked with to create the custom track for us, did so much amazing work to make sure that the correct emotional tightrope was walked. It had to be a little bit sad but not too sad, then it builds towards the end, there's a bit of optimism and then there's this nice twinkly ending.

Jake> There was absolutely no stone left unturned when it came to music. We did this massive exploration with them which ended in a really nice place and they deserve their flowers because they nailed the emotion on this one.