Scotiabank's 'Hockey for All' Calls for More Diversity in the Sport

Hockey players and coaches representing sundry races, beliefs and orientations upend their ignorant, bigoted critics in a short film from Scotiabank.

The :60 below anchors “Hockey for All,” an initiative developed with agency Rethink that calls for increased diversity and inclusion across the sport in Canada, with the bank pledging $2 million over the next year to support the cause.

Paralympian gold medalist Bill Bridges, Olympic gold medalist Jayna Hefford and Harrison Browne (the sport’s first openly transgender pro), among others, appear in the spot, developed with Soft Citizen directors Charlotte Fassler and Dani Girdwood (aka Similar but Different).

As the players go about their business on the ice, taunts from social media flash on screen:

• “Shouldn’t he be playing basketball?”
• “Do they even have ice in China?”
• “Women’s hockey is just boring.”
• “Who wants to watch girls play?”
• “First Nations kids are too lazy.”
• “Keep hockey straight!”
• “Go back to where you belong!”

At the ad’s finish, P.K. Subban, one of the NHL’s most prominent Black stars, takes a pointed parting shot at his detractors. “Go back where we belong? This, this is where we belong,” he says, thumping a post-game interview table at the ad’s conclusion.

“Even though Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world, its beloved national sport hasn’t been,” Scotiabank vice president of marketing John Rocco tells Muse. “Discrimination is a fact of life for anyone who doesn’t fit the traditional hockey mold.”

Two-thirds of Canadian players and coaches recently told Angus Reid researchers that hockey culture is rife with bullying and lacks inclusivity. Plus, skates, sticks and assorted gear have become increasingly expensive. Such factors create barriers for many who want to participate. The campaign seeks to address such issues, with ads sparking conversations about equality, and funds supporting grassroots hockey organizations nationwide.

The ultimate goal is “to make hockey more diverse, inclusive and accessible for all. To make Canada’s game look like Canada,” Rocco says.
 
Other elements include micro-docs about athletes, coaches and community players overcoming adversity. Chicanx New York Times photojournalist Roy Baizan shot in-arena and in-branch signage:

“Hockey for All” follows Scotiabank’s 2020 feature-length film about Canadians’ abiding love for the sport. Also, Rethink employed a lighter tone to explore the nation’s oh-so-complicated puck obsession in memorable ads for Molson.

CREDITS

Client: Scotiabank
CCO: Aaron Starkman
ECD: Mike Dubrick
Creative Director: Dhaval Bhatt
Creative Director, Head of Art: Joel Holtby
Creative Director: Natasha Michalowska
ACD, Writer: Robbie Percy
ACD, Art Director: Caroline Friesen
CSO: Sean McDonald
Strategist: Crystal Sales

Director of Broadcast Production: Shelby Spigelman
Broadcast Producer:  Chantel Brinkman, Anna Tricinci
Production Company: Soft Citizen 
Executive Producer: Link York 
Director: Similar but Different 
Director of photography:  Chris Ripley 
Line Producer:  Kelly King 
Offline Editorial: Nimiopere Film Editorial 
Editor: Graham Chisholm
Assistant Editor: Bryan Reuben
Offline Producer: Julie Axell 
Post Production House: The Vanity 
VFX Artists: Kaelem Cahill, Noah Matikainen, Dave McGhie 
VFX Producer: Katie Methot 
Grading: Wade Odlum, Alter Ego 

Audio House: Grayson Music 
Producer (Audio House): Tyler Estwick 
Creative Director & Composer (Audio House): Tyson Kuteyi
Engineer: Vlad Nikolic 
Sound Design: Ben Swarbrick 
Photographer: Roy Baizan
Agency Integrated Producer: Kate Spencer
Line Producer: AJ Edmonds

Account Services: 
Niki Sahni, Group Account Director
Daniel Riggi, Account Director
Gib Hassan, Account Manager
Alex Rousom, Account Manager

Amplification:
Meredith Montgomery, Strategic Communications
Sara Lemmermeyer, Communications Manager

Client:
Laura Curtis-Ferrera, Chief Marketing Officer
John Rocco, Vice President, Marketing
Mike Tasevski, Vice President, Global Sponsorships
Lisa Ferkul, Director, Hockey Sponsorship
Nick Peragine, Senior Manager, Global Sponsorships
Doug Johnson, Senior Manager, Communications
Matthew Dicker, Manager. Global Sponsorships
Alex Chiarlitti, Assistant Manager. Global Sponsorships

Media Agency – PHD Canada

Angie Genevose, Managing Director
Laura Leonard, Business Lead
Jillian Mlot, Senior Account Manager, Planning
Felcia Pierskalla, Senior Account Manager
Drew Himel, Assistant, Client Services

PR Agency – H+K Strategies 

Jason MacDonald, Senior Vice President, Corporate Advisory Lead
Meredith Burns, Senior Director, Corporate Advisory
Ariel Benjamin, Consultant
Alex Mitchell, Account Director, Integrated Communications
Patrice Lavoie, Vice President
Maxime Belanger, Senior Consultant
Jessica Conlin, Account Director