BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS OF CANADA BECOME ONE
By Adnews Staff
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada have become one national organization. The newly created Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada will introduce itself with a new logo and an advertising campaign. The organization provides services and programs to 190 Big Brother/Big Sister member agencies in Canada. Big Brother/Big Sister agencies match adults and children in mentoring relationships. Bruce MacDonald, director of marketing for the organization, said although 96% of adults recognize the Big Brothers and Big Sisters names, over the last few years additional services have been introduced to the programs. The goal of the branding program is to broaden understanding of the mentoring service among Canadians, MacDonald said. TD Securities and the National Post will be national sponsors of the organization. The first in a series of print ads promoting the organization appears today in the National Post. The campaign depicts children and adults in fun activities and uses the tagline "There's No Substitute for Big People." Print advertising from Sharpe Blackmore of Toronto will run through the first quarter of 2002. Television and radio advertising and a new Web site will follow in the new year. The organization's new logo is an adaptation of the Big Brothers Big Sisters International logo, which consists of an adult and child holding hands.
In related news, local Big Brothers and Big Sisters agencies in Toronto are also merging into one organization. Other cities in which local groups have merged include Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal and Winnipeg. Founding partners of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto include George Weston Limited, Scotiabank, AGF Management Limited, CIBC World Markets Children's Miracle Foundation, Goldman Sachs Canada and RBC Financial Group.