TORONTO, Canada – June 1, 2015 – 100 Toronto Public Library (TorontoPublicLibrary.ca) librarians and ambassadors (#TPL100) walked from the Toronto Reference Library to Nathan Phillips Square May 26, launching a month-long community engagement campaign conceived by Canadian marketing and communications agency Clever Samurai™ (cleversamurai.com). Each ambassador wore a t-shirt sporting one of 100 Reasons Torontonians should check out the Library. The campaign coincides with the opening of the library’s 100th branch and aims to increase library usage by highlighting an impressive array of programs, services and collections beyond the lending of books.
Toronto Mayor, John Tory, represented Reason #32: One card. Unlimited Access. Tory, along with 99 other ambassadors can be seen on video sharing their unique reason to explore the library at TPL100.ca. The 100 Reasons also appear on posters, bookmarks and shareable selfie-photo opportunity standees in every library branch. An advertising campaign in the Toronto Star highlights all 100 Reasons including ‘100 Reasons to Give’ Day – a call to action to encourage in-branch giving on June 2 to support vital library programs and services.
"The library challenged us with the idea of promoting 100 reasons why Torontonians should connect with their library", said Margo Hunnisett VP, Client Services at Clever Samurai. “Our goal was to develop their idea into a creative and cost-effective community engagement strategy that would highlight the breadth of access to programs, services and collections that are free with a library card."
Toronto Public Library, one of the most frequented library systems in North America, includes services like Dial-a-Story in 16 languages, programs for newcomers, juried art exhibits, special collections, MAP Family Saturdays, 3-D printing, digital downloads, Ready for Reading programs and more.
"The campaign is meant to answer the question, who knew?” said Yvonne Hunter, Manager, Cultural & Special Events Programming at Toronto Public Library. "Toronto's libraries reflect the diversity of 100 different neighborhoods and each branch is unique. We want to invite people in, introduce them to new program or service, encourage them to get a library card or to come back if they haven’t been to the library in a while. It’s changing and there’s something for everyone."
Joe Amaral, VP & Creative Director at Clever Samurai comments, "Toronto Public Library is a key cultural and community icon for the City of Toronto. The campaign recognizes who our client is and mirrors their values by taking a grassroots, community-based approach." Amaral adds, "In working with the library, we’ve learned that it’s not just a job to these passionate people; they believe what they do is vital to the community. We’ve taken that passion and made it the cornerstone of their campaign."
About Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library is one of the world's busiest urban public library systems. Every year, more than 18 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow 32 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get the most current updates on what's happening at the library, follow us on Twitter @torontolibrary.
About Clever Samurai
Clever Samurai™ is a full-service marketing communications agency that generates powerful, disciplined ideas that deliver meaningful results. Clever Samurai is part of the 5th business® group of companies, an integrated sales and marketing organization focused on meeting our clients' growth challenges. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has offices in Canada, United States and Australia.