Mannequins, Humans Make the Escape from Boringville

Vancouver, BC; November 3, 2009 – Recently, drivers in a Lower Mainland, BC community were witness to a strange sight: a dull, beige minivan with a group of mannequins pouring out of it and scrambling up a billboard. The mannequins- tired of the dull, beige confines of life in Boringville- were desperate to get a glimpse at a life worth living.

The installation is part the Escape from Boringville campaign for Morgan Crossing, a residential and retail village development in South Surrey, BC. Vancouver advertising and design firm, Spring, developed the campaign in partnership with Fingerprint Strategies, Morgan Crossing’s sales and marketing firm.

“Morgan Crossing appeals to people who are looking for an antidote to a boring, suburban life. The village concept captures their imagination,” says Bryan Woolley, President, Fingerprint Strategies. “We needed an approach beyond the traditional condo marketing of print ads and direct mail, something that would tell potential buyers- as they are driving by in their cars- that a life without total dependency on their vehicle is possible.”

Morgan Crossing is inspired by European villages and traditional Main Streets, places where amenities are a walkable distance from home, and was designed so that living, shopping, exercising, hanging out can all happen in the same place.

“With the Escape from Boringville campaign, we wanted to demonstrate that buying a home is not just a choice about where to live, but also how to live,” says Rob Schelycher, Creative Director, Spring. “The mannequins are simply a metaphor for the desire to escape suburban sameness and find something better.”

A video and photos of the making of the Escape from Boringville mannequin installation can be viewed on the Morgan Crossing website: http://www.morgancrossing.ca/gallery/art_installation/

Media strategy and buying for the campaign is handled by Barlow Media, and PR is handled by Elettra Communications.

Spring Begins With a Boink

Vancouver, BC; March 19, 2009 – Spring Advertising + Design is celebrating the first day of the season with its second annual Boink Day, a pogo-a-thon to raise funds for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. From 7am – 7pm on Friday, March 20 on the Georgia Street Side of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the advertising firm and its clients will donate ten cents to the Food Bank for every pogo bounce performed by a member of the public.

“With Boink Day we’re trying to give the first day of Spring its due.” says Rob Schlyecher

Partner and Creative Director of Spring Advertising + Design. “We’re going outside and getting on pogo sticks to celebrate the end of a long cold wet winter and raise money for the Food Bank.”

In addition to raising funds through boinking, the public can also make a cash or non-perishable food donation. For every $1 donated, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank can purchase $3 of nutritious fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs.

Last year, out of the $3,000 cash raised, the Food Bank was able to purchase $9,000 worth of food. This year, Spring aims to break that total, while pogo-ers will aim to beat last year’s record of 2,500 consecutive boinks.

Visit Boink Day on Facebook.