The TV commercial “Wheels” is part of a three-ad Olympic campaign developed by Canadian Tire. It celebrates values like sportsmanship, diversity, and inclusivity. Although the campaign was originally developed for the Olympics, its message is universal. Issues of inclusion and national unity are incredibly timely right now – the message holds true for people beyond sports.
The ad opens with some kids playing basketball outdoors and when the ball goes astray and it’s retrieved at the doorstep of a young boy in a wheelchair, the youth with the ball and the youth in the wheelchair look at each other. The boy in the wheelchair is initially perceived as unable to play. The scene changes to a new game with the boy in the wheelchair being invited to play and once he arrives at the court he sees the other youth sitting on makeshift wheelchairs allowing everyone to join.
The creative concept behind Wheels, specifically, was to tell small, human stories that imagine a better, more inclusive world. Kids, who aren’t caught up in today’s politics, seemed like the perfect ones to deliver the message – but only if the stories felt authentic. This was an integrated campaign and inclusivity was the message driven through every channel.
