To successfully influence brand affinity requires rich content that conveys emotionally why Canada is unique and meaningful to visitors. Destination Canada recognised that their target audience mainly resides in urban areas and, to all intents and purposes, live in a world that is increasingly fake and filtered.

Furthermore, they have identified that their visitors have an instinctive preference for what is natural, real and authentic. Destination Canada asserts that Canada’s openness is an antidote to today’s overly manufactured and curated world, making the concept of “Canada, naturally” meaningful. Canadians’ openness to connect their visitors with what is real is what can be considered unique.

In 2024’s Open Assignment with National Geographic, three photographers shared their solo experiences. This time, to increase the resonance of the concept of “Canada, naturally.”, the direction needed to be broad and open-ended enough to garner diverse and surprising responses from Canadians themselves. Therefore, 2025’s mission asked the explorers to collaboratively build a picture of what it is to “live like a Canadian”, capturing real conversations to be shared through National Geographic’s multiple channels globally.

To bring “Canada, naturally.” to life, the campaign would highlight how in a land of awe-inspiring landscapes, being open, warm-hearted and offering fresh perspectives comes naturally to Canadians. To convey that what might be ordinary to them can feel extraordinary to those who visit, creating an emotional connection with the objective of driving a strong brand affinity for Canada.

Essentially, the people of Canada featured would answer a simple question from their own unique perspectives: “Life in Canada is…?”

A first-of-its-kind assignment for National Geographic, the three photographers travelled together across 2,075 miles of Atlantic Canada meeting 49 Canadians in 15 days. They drove a custom-painted yellow RV, complete with branding and QR code for campaign-bespoke content.

To share what it is like to be a Canadian the explorers discovered what it means to be an Atlantic Coast Canuck, a Newfoundlander and a Prince Edward Islander. They learnt what it’s like to wake up to icebergs floating past your porch; the Northern Lights above your head when you drop the kids at dance; to eat delicious Jiggs dinner on a rainy Sunday. They meet larger than life characters who work the land, preserve culture & tradition, and more in ways that feel extraordinary to the outside eye.

To create more than a list of must-see spots, the three hero themes were created collaboratively,  with the photographers each approaching the assignment with a different lens. Ami Vitale through the women and wildlife she meets, Kiliii Yüyan in his search for fun and kinship in the communities that connect the land and the sea; Matthieu Paley with his passion for food and provenance.

To build the emotional connection, and bring to life how the explorers were able to immerse themselves with local life, the team created an authentic look and feel within a broader cinematic frame that could reflect the gaze of our photographers, offsetting beautifully composed landscapes, with portraits and moments. The team directed deliberate “run and gun” footage that is perfect for capturing the intimacy and immediacy of the road trip – the interactions between photographers and in their encounters with our local characters along the way. With multiple cameras and shooting largely handheld, including GoPro cameras, vérité moments were captured – especially inside the RV!

From icebergs to oysters, the team created 40 distinct campaign assets for a dedicated “Life in Canada is…” hub plus paid and organic media formats.

The campaign was designed to enhance brand affinity and increase visitor consideration by promoting Destination Canada’s proposition “Canada, naturally.”

Bespoke research* confirmed campaign effectiveness, significantly boosting consideration to travel and the prominence of unique brand attributes among National Geographic audiences.

Core brand values were successfully communicated – 86% of respondents agreed the campaign was a brand fit. Meaningful destination results were high across both control and test groups, approaching 80%. Brand attributes “Real,” “Natural,” and “Caring” were most strongly associated with Canada, reflecting the essence of “Canada, naturally.”

The creative scored as impactful, emotional, and memorable, inspiring audience action. 87% of respondents were motivated to learn more about Canada, and unprompted consideration to visit more than doubled among those exposed to the campaign (21% vs. 10% in the control group). Prompted consideration reached 81%, and Canada was referenced as the first-choice destination by 45% of National Geographic users, well above 28% benchmark.

Media metrics underscored the campaign’s success: 509,000 social engagements (+124% above target), 115,000 clicks to the hub (1.7x over target), and 13.7 million video views, with 3.5 million completes. Average view duration for longer-form YouTube content was 3 minutes 41 seconds, far exceeding the 30 second benchmark. Page view goals were surpassed by 211%, and dwell time on video articles was 2.5 times higher than National Geographic average. Social sentiment was overwhelmingly positive (99%), particularly for Meta mix ads in France and USA.

The campaign delivered against its objectives of building affinity and consideration and drove exceptional engagement positioning Canada as a unique and meaningful destination with its target audience. Finally, in 2026, tourism revenue is projected to increase by 6% (ahead of previous 5.4% outlook) and reach $140.9 billion.

*Specific brand lift study was executed targeting NG social channel users.