Remembrance Day is seen by many as a time for paying respect to those who served during World War I and World War II, and as the veterans of those wars slowly pass away over the years, so does Canadians’ connection to the day – especially among the country’s youth.

One of the reasons for this is that the current conflicts do not directly affect Canada as did the earlier wars, so the Canadian Forces putting their lives on the line for peacekeeping missions are not always top-of-mind at this time of year.

Ironically, many of the men and women serving today in places like Afghanistan and Darfur, are much closer in age to MuchMusic’s viewers than the veterans often associated with Remembrance Day, so Much wanted to reconnect their audience with the purpose behind Remembrance Day as well as raise awareness of Veterans’ Week. Challenging viewers to, “Remember. Any way you want,” the spot focuses on social networking used to share thoughts and stories and to organize ways to remember those who have served and are currently serving overseas.

Strut took the script and fleshed it out – writing content for and creating the social networking graphics before animating them on-screen. The 30-second spot starts with a couple key messages before the posts, tweets and texts appear at an exponential rate to fill the screen and morph into a poppy against a black denim jacket. Ear Candy created a wonderful soundscape that builds throughout the spot to a cacophony of message alert bings, beeps, bells and whistles mixed with the sounds of marching soldiers and drill sergeants before ending with an emotional moment of silence.

Visit www.muchmusic.com/veterans to learn more about Canada’s veterans; complete a quiz to receive a free music download; and see playlists from some of the peacekeepers who have served, or are currently serving overseas.