Giant Lungs Float Through Canada to Raise Awareness of Pollution

Gasp! What’s that floating through the sooty skies above Canada’s largest cities? Looks like … an enormous pair of lungs?

Exhale, neighbors to the north. The Canadian Lung Association and McCann dispatched those outsized organs—four stories tall when fully inflated and soaring 100 feet high—to raise awareness of pollution and respiratory disease.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Lungs In The Air (@lungsintheair)

Created by McCann Canada and artist Fezz Stenton, the massive mobile installation took flight in Calgary on Sept. 25 for World Lung Day. “Lungs in the Air” visited Toronto next, with a stop planned for Halifax today.

“The effect of air pollution on our lungs is undeniable,” says agency creative lead Josh Stein. “But with so much information out there, we knew our message could easily get lost. So, we challenged ourselves to do something truly disruptive.”

At each location, reps provide information and answer questions about making cleaner air a priority. They also point folks to a website, LungsInTheAir.ca, developed by McCann and sibling agency Performance Art, which offers colorful lung-shaped representations of air quality in regions throughout Canada.

Through the site, visitors can send messages to government departments, encouraging environmental initiatives to improve air quality nationwide.

Poor air quality claims the lives of more than 15,000 Canadians a year, according to Lung Association, so, “now more than ever, it is crucial to take action,” says Terry Dean, the group’s CEO. “It is our hope that Canadians will be moved to learn more and seek protective measures against the crisis we are facing.”

CREDITS

McCann Canada Credits:
Chief Creative Officer: Josh Stein
Associate Creative Directors: Gail Pak, Mike Shuman
Creative Team: Brennen Robinson and Osman Rahmani
Executive Producer: Jacqueline Bellmore
Agency Producer: Eastern Yoo
Account Management: Karen Pearce, Sean Fero
Brand Strategy: Russ Rickey
Social Strategy: Russ Rickey, Julie Evans, Lisa Gacek
Project Management: Tavia Bakowski
Website Development: Michael Harley

Edery & Lord:
Partner: Martine Levy
Partner: Victoria Lord
Senior Account Director: Paige Calvert
Account Manager: Nadia Ali
Senior Consultant: Nancy Gray

Performance Art:
Ian Mackenzie – Chief Creative Officer
Colin Craig – Executive Creative Director
Pedro Izzo – Associate Creative Director
Andrew Bernardi – Creative Director
Jordan Gabriel – Associate Creative Director
Alana Ratcliff-Lake – Art Director
Joey Penkala – Copywriter
Bonnie Chung – VP, Product
Kirk Linkletter – VP Strategy

PlusK:
Kirby Szeto – Developer
Sarah Lasch – Development Manager

Additional Production Credits:
Inflatable Lung Design: Fezz Stenton
Inflatable Lung Production: Glow Inflatables
Inflatable Lung Operation: Fabulous Inflatables
Locations Manager: Dan Ford from Radke Film Group
Helium Supplier: Air Liquide
Website Music: Grayson Music Group