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It is not uncommon to see students curled up, asleep in peculiar spots around university campuses. Library kiosks, benches, patches of grass or open floor, anything goes for an exhausted student at the end of a long study session. In the spring of 2011, Mount Royal University students descended on campus toting sleeping bags and blankets with the sole purpose of causing a scene.

The Calgary Homeless Foundation, along with a group of MRU public relations students, asked Strut to help with a campaign to draw attention to the plight of the homeless. Specifically targeting students, the “Don’t Ignore Me” campaign was not focused on raising money, but on raising the level of empathy for the homeless among students, and to attract volunteers willing to help.

A guerrilla marketing campaign developed by Strut raised a great deal of awareness, and the “Don’t Ignore Me” event was well attended. The campus community definitely took notice, and the CHF adopted “Don’t Ignore Me” for their annual report to the community.

Strut is proud to have been named a finalist in three categories at the 2011 Digital Alberta Awards for our work alongside Brookfield Homes and Shell:

• B2C Innovation (Brookfield Homes)
• Best Digital Design (Brookfield Homes)
• Best in Social Media (Shell)

Our first time entered, it was a night to remember, and next year, we plan on bringing home some hardware.

Brookfield Homes’ Triple Play

Strut and Brookfield Homes (formerly Heartland and Hawthorne Homes) teamed up to create an innovative, three-pronged approach to home buying, targeted towards the new generation of consumer. Realizing that consumers are interacting with information as never before, Brookfield and Strut created and combined three interactive options for potential home buyers: the revolutionary HomingDevice smartphone app, a multitouch kiosk for use in Brookfield’s sales centres, and a brand new web site - all working from a common database. Simply by creating an account on the free app, a kiosk, or the web site, customers can organize, view, and share all of their options from anywhere. With the ability to view floorplans, photos, and videos of more than 60 Brookfield models, create a profile for each home they visit, add comments and ratings for each room, take additional photos, and create a “favourites” list, customers can easily stay organized throughout the hectic home buying process - on the go, at home, or from a Brookfield sales centre.

Shell Helps Canadians Change the World

As a world petroleum leader, Shell understands the importance of making a positive impact on the environment. An evolution of the Shell Environmental Fund, FuellingChange gives Canadians the chance to decide which environmental initiatives receive a total of $1 million in grants. Using our own Insynergy web platform, Strut designed and built the FuellingChange web site, allowing Shell consumers to view each of the 54 shortlisted environmental programs and vote for the cause that most resonates with them. Participants are encouraged to spread the word via social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to Brookfield Homes and Shell for partnering with Strut on these innovative initiatives, and to Digital Alberta for their recognition of all our hard work!

Strut has been sweating it out alongside Shell and Canadian Geographic to help Canadian families lead healthier lives while using less energy. No, we’re not putting a Bowflex in every home. We are, however, promising visible results within weeks. The Energy Diet Challenge launches this September with ads created by Strut running all spring and summer throughout Postmedia News outlets across the country.

Combining online social media with elements of reality TV, the Energy Diet Challenge pits households from across Canada against each other - and themselves - to see how much energy they can save simply by making the extra effort.

Each participating household creates a profile on the web site built by Strut, and posts updates regularly, documenting their progress. Visitors to the site can view each family profile, track the successes and failures of each participant, and vote for their favourites.

Get ready to stretch your energy spending, reduce your environmental footprint, and feel the burn with the Energy Diet Challenge.

From April 19 to June 11, TRIB Steakhouse waddled away from their bread and butter - steak and potatoes - to feature the 2011 Duck Festival, a nod to fantastic fowl fare. TRIB’s prime location on the heart of Calgary’s famous Stephen Avenue makes it visible to thousands of people walking by every day. An eye-catching campaign on the outside was needed to go along with the mouth-watering food on the inside. With Strut’s help, the “Célébration du Canard” was a quacking success.

The eye-catching window graphic and dashing logo created by Strut, along with a radio campaign, email promotion, and a complimentary duck paté had people flocking in to the tune of 25% more traffic over the same time period last year. Now, that’s something to flap our wings about!