Why Tangerine is Depositing $1,000 for Every Toronto Raptors Bank Shot Scored
With the NBA season underway, fans of basketball are no doubt thrilled to see their favourite teams and players return to the court. This is especially true in Canada, where once again, citizens are rallying around the north’s only team, the Toronto Raptors. This hype has not gone unnoticed by Tangerine, who - since 2018 - are the official bank of the Raptors.
However, where many sponsors are solely there to support the team, Tangerine has made it clear that it’s equally there to support the fans. Since partnering, it’s focused its messaging on saluting fans - showing them that Tangerine understands what it means to love the team. And, continuing this tradition, the start of the 2022/23 season seemed the perfect opportunity to kick things up a notch.
Working in collaboration with john st., Tangerine seized the opportunity to own the ‘bank shot’ (a shot that ricochets off the backboard before going into the basket) with the launch of the ‘Tangerine Bank Shot Account’ campaign. Not only is this a fitting idea for a literal bank, but now, every time the Raptors sink a bank shot, it will turn into real money for the basketball community, while also unlocking exclusive prizes for fans. For every bank shot made, Tangerine will deposit $1,000 into the ‘Tangerine Bank Shot Account’, with all the money accumulated at the end of the season going towards funding basketball community initiatives across the country.
Supported through TV, social, digital and various in-arena signage at the Scotiabank Arena, the hope is, according to john st. executive creative director, Jamie Marcovitch, that fans will think of Tangerine every time the team sinks a bank shot, in the same way people think of Jordan for his dunks, or Steph Curry for his threes.
LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Jamie to learn more about how this campaign came to life.
LBB> Showcasing that Tangerine is not only the bank of the Raptors, but the bank of the fans is a great idea! As such, what was the brief, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Jamie> Tangerine has spent the last three seasons supporting and celebrating Toronto Raptors fans - the greatest fans in the NBA, and a group that literally spans the entire country. As Tangerine was preparing to launch the platform for the 2022 season, we felt it was time to do more than just shine a light on their passion, it was time to do something that actually pushed the fans forward. We began exploring different ways to give back, ways to grant fans more access, ways to make the greatest fandom even greater. Then, it hit us… Let’s own the bank shot and really solidify Tangerine Bank’s connection to the Raptors.
LBB> Where did you start when taking on this process? Did you immediately know you wanted to do the $1,000 per bank shot initiative, or were there other ideas in consideration? And what made this the right choice for Tangerine?
Jamie> We had other approaches, such as angles that put the power in the hands of the fans, and angles that made them as heroic as the players themselves. Then we started exploring what it might look like if we created the first bank account for an entire fanbase, with funds we’d use to help support them. And then we thought, ‘Maybe there’s a way the Raptors could help fill that account?’. And what better way to fill a bank account than with bank shots?
LBB> The spot is super fun - please tell us more about how this was made! Who did you work with, and what was the post process like?
Jamie> We worked with Gimmick Studio in Montreal. They’re one of the best at creating gritty, high-energy-based, mixed media style animation. It was a true collaborative effort - we shared the script and the vision, and they came back with a style board that blew us away. Then it kept growing from there.
LBB> Who did you work with to capture the voice over? What made them the right person for the job?
Jamie> We were looking for a fresh approach to the music and voiceover. This is a grassroots initiative meant to give back to the basketball community, and so it needed to feel authentic and not corporate. Jared Kuemper at Berkeley Inc. in Toronto is a master at casting and voice direction, and we knew he’d help us find just the right tone.
LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?
Jamie> A 360 campaign with TV, online video, in-arena video and signage, out-of-home and social has a lot of moving parts. We needed to create a new look and feel, land clear messaging, and develop a multi-tiered prizing structure to inspire fans to keep following along as the account grows. But, perhaps the biggest challenge was getting it all locked in by the home opener on October 19th. Yes there were challenges, but when you work with creatives as tenacious as the team we have here at john st. and a client who truly believes in an idea, there’s nothing you can’t overcome.
LBB> How have people reacted to Tangerine’s new initiative?
Jamie> So far, the initiative has been a massive success for Tangerine. The Raptors keep sinking bank shots, which is great news for Tangerine, and greater news for the basketball community! As the account continues to grow, we plan to bring in more fun ways to get the greatest fans in basketball involved.
LBB> The money raised by Tangerine will be put toward basketball community initiatives. Do you already have some in mind, or will that be announced down the line?
Jamie> That will be announced later in the campaign, but the intent is that the money in the account does something profound and meaningful for the basketball community and for the fans.
LBB> With the NBA season kicking off recently, is there anything you want to say to the Raptors and their fans?
Jamie> To the fans, I’d say keep cheering those bank shots to inspire the Raps to make even more bank for the basketball community! And to the Raptors players, next time you’re thinking of draining a three or coming in for a layup, go for a bank shot!
LBB> Is there anything you’d like to add?
Jamie> Let’s go Raptors!
