Target made lemonade out of lemons
How this Atlantic Canada agency spun a Super Bowl ad gone wrong
February 27, 2024
In the fast-paced arena of advertising, timing is everything. When a Super Bowl ad by vacation rental company VRBO sparked controversy for its use of a traditional Newfoundland and Labrador folk song in what many perceived as a derogatory manner, the response from the local community was swift and vocal. However, it was the rapid and powerful reaction from Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, orchestrated by their agency of record, Target, that truly captured attention.
St. Johns, NL — During the Super Bowl weekend, the vacation rental company VRBO ran an ad that used a traditional Newfoundland and Labrador folk song, “I’se the B’y,” in a less-than-flattering way, eliciting offence and even outrage from many Canadians.
Senator David Wells and Premier Andrew Furey were among the Newfoundlanders blasting the ad. Meanwhile, Target, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s longstanding agency of record, took action.
“One of the great advantages of being a small agency is the ability to act fast,” said Catherine Kelly, president of Target. “There is no bureaucracy here, no layers of administration. Everyone is empowered and engaged, ready to roll up their sleeves in service of our client partners.”
Within minutes of the airing, texts were flying back and forth amongst the agency leads. By Monday morning, a local editor was briefed on a video response ad while a local performer, Gordon Cormier, was commissioned to record a heartfelt rendition of “I’se the B’y.”
The new video was approved and posted on social media within 22 hours of the Super Bowl airing of the VRBO ad. The post copy spoke to the cultural significance of the song, reading, “It’s history. Culture. Folklore. And a guarantee to get Nan up on the dance floor, bad hip and all. A song so distinctly ours that you can almost feel the salt air on your skin when you hear it.”
The story of the VRBO commercial and Target's response has spread quickly across media channels, with articles in The Globe & Mail, the National Post, and many more. Broadcast coverage has appeared on CBC and CTV nationally. And the posts on Facebook and Instagram have garnered thousands of engagements.
“This is a story about turning a negative into a positive,” said Kelly. “And it’s proof that there’s nothing more powerful than true partnerships between agency and client. Except maybe Newfoundland and Labrador pride.”
The response posts can be found on the Facebook and Instagram channels for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, as well as on YouTube.
About Target
Target is a highly-awarded full-service advertising agency founded in 1980 on the waterfront in St. John’s, Newfoundland – on the oldest street in the oldest city in North America. Now, more than 44 years later, Target is the longest-running independent agency in Canada. It is the inaugural winner of Canada’s Small Agency of the Year – and notably earned a Strategy Small Agency distinction again in 2023 – and has been repeatedly named one of Canada’s top-ranking creative agencies. Target’s clients include Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Inclusive Workplaces Canada, Loyalist College, Whitecap International Seafoods, East Port Properties, Perchance Theatre, Big Brothers Big Sisters, HSA Retail, St. Bonaventure’s College, Atkinson Foundation, and Oxygen Capital.
www.targetmarketing.ca
We heart you Newfoundland & Labrador! Congratulations Target!
