WestJet Campaign Celebrates Canadians Who Go Above & Beyond
Publicis Toronto’s latest campaign for WestJet is making stars of ordinary Canadians who go the extra mile to inspire the people around them. Customers often praise WestJet employees for going above and beyond in the name of customer service, so the Publicis Toronto team sought out other people who show the same attitude in their daily lives to feature in the “Above and Beyond” video series.
For decades, ninth-grade teach Bruce Farrer has asked his students to write a letter to their future selves with the promise that he will return the letter in twenty years. Fulfilling that promise is no small task. Each year Farrer spends hours tracking down his former students and mailing the letters all over the world.
Bruce’s story has caught the attention of news outlets around the world, including the CBC, CNN, Today Show, Huffington Post and others. But Bruce isn’t the only campaign star to get some extra recognition. Josh Yahndt made news when he responded to bullying at school with a daily act of kindness—holding open the door for his fellow students.
The high school student, who fellow classmates dubbed “The Doorman,” also attracted the attention of the CBC. His story was originally shared on an episode of The National and the news program recently caught up with Josh again to see how his life has changed since his extraordinary act of kindness made national news.
“WestJet has a rich history in Canada of going above and beyond,” said Mark Fitzgerald, creative director at Publicis Toronto. “They strive to make air travel friendlier, happier, smoother, more enjoyable and more accessible.”
“We wanted to share stories of others who feel the same way,” added creative director Kerry Reynolds, “Because we wholeheartedly believe that caring makes a world of difference.”
More heartwarming stories are yet to come as the campaign continues to feature tales of people of all ages who go above and beyond, like Isabel, whose pet portraits benefit local animal shelters, and Leroy, a barber who does far more for his community than cut hair.
Keep up with all the videos and submit your own stories here.
