Project
Branding and Marketing
Services
Brand Development
Web Development
Creative Marketing Strategies
Graphic Design
Digital Marketing
Expertise
Sports, Arts & Culture
Non-Profit And Non-Government Organizations (NGO)
The Seed
In 2008, Spruce Creative (then named Halogen Marketing) was hired by Run Ottawa to develop the annual advertising campaign for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon – an event that draws tens of thousands of people to Ottawa every year.
The campaign needed to capture the atmosphere and excitement of the event in a way that would inspire runners from across Canada and around the world to participate, while also bolstering local support from the running community.
This Is Our Run promotional video.
Run With Us promotional video.
Team Awesome promotional video.
Roots
After undertaking stakeholder research and reviewing the sports and running event landscape, Spruce Creative developed the Run Ottawa campaign. The creative took off like wildfire and attracted a record number of runners.
National Capital Marathon Inc., the organization responsible for organizing the event, was so excited about the new creative direction that it adopted the campaign slogan as the operating name of its organization (Run Ottawa) and hired Spruce Creative on retainer to work year-round with the non-profit.
The start line. Run Ottawa!
While developing the advertising campaign for Ottawa Race Weekend, we landed on a tagline that would become synonymous with the brand: Run Ottawa!
Upping the distance
Building on the previous year’s success, we were asked to deliver more services, including designing the annual Event Guide, signage and weekend tickets and badges.
It’s Your Time
Looking for innovative ways to engage runners, we designed a postcard that was mailed to each participant with their personal finishing time. A huge success, it became an annual tradition.
A new title sponsor
In 2013, the event celebrated the arrival of a new title sponsor, Tamarack Homes. We worked closely with the organization to ensure Tamarack’s branding was carried throughout, including modifying the event logo.
40th Anniversary
To celebrate the marathon’s 40th anniversary, we designed a wide range of materials from a 40-year logo to commemorative marathon t-shirts to the cover of a 40th anniversary marathon book.
Team Awesome
Over the years, our team has taken on more and more of the social media strategy for the event, including helping develop Team Awesome, a crew of runners / social media ambassadors to spread the Run Ottawa gospel.
Canada 150
Ottawa celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday and we ensured the celebration carried through on the race course. A coast to coast to coast skyline came to be a feature across t-shirts, signage and other materials.
This Is Our Run
We continue to take great pride in developing the event’s annual advertising campaign, which we roll out across print, digital and social media channels. In 2018, we celebrated the emotion of Ottawa’s hometown IAAF Gold Label event. This is our run.
The start line. Run Ottawa!
While developing the advertising campaign for Ottawa Race Weekend, we landed on a tagline that would become synonymous with the brand: Run Ottawa!
2008
Upping the distance
Building on the previous year’s success, we were asked to deliver more services, including designing the annual Event Guide, signage and weekend tickets and badges.
2009
It’s Your Time
Looking for innovative ways to engage runners, we designed a postcard that was mailed to each participant with their personal finishing time. A huge success, it became an annual tradition.
2010
A new title sponsor
In 2013, the event celebrated the arrival of a new title sponsor, Tamarack Homes. We worked closely with the organization to ensure Tamarack’s branding was carried throughout, including modifying the event logo.
2013
40th Anniversary
To celebrate the marathon’s 40th anniversary, we designed a wide range of materials from a 40-year logo to commemorative marathon t-shirts to the cover of a 40th anniversary marathon book.
2014
Team Awesome
Over the years, our team has taken on more and more of the social media strategy for the event, including helping develop Team Awesome, a crew of runners / social media ambassadors to spread the Run Ottawa gospel.
2015
Canada 150
Ottawa celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday and we ensured the celebration carried through on the race course. A coast to coast to coast skyline came to be a feature across t-shirts, signage and other materials.
2017
This Is Our Run
We continue to take great pride in developing the event’s annual advertising campaign, which we roll out across print, digital and social media channels. In 2018, we celebrated the emotion of Ottawa’s hometown IAAF Gold Label event. This is our run.
2018
Growth
Since 2008, Spruce Creative has continued to be Run Ottawa’s trusted partner for creative marketing and campaign development. Between 2012 and 2015, Spruce Creative helped Run Ottawa and the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend achieve record participation rates, reaching close to 50,000 participants and over 100,000 spectators at its apex. Spruce Creative also supported Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend as it became recognized internationally as one of the only running events in the world with two IAAF gold label certified races.
What started out as a single advertising campaign for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon has grown into year-round marketing support including management of social media marketing, digital marketing and advertising, graphic design of event materials including race shirts and signage, and web development and management.
Fruit
As Run Ottawa’s outsourced marketing team for over a decade, Spruce Creative has developed a keen understanding for community centred events in general and sports marketing in particular. Spruce Creative has consistently worked to innovate in sports and event marketing in the Canadian running context, creating new ways to engage runners through social media, digital marketing and special programs, such as the ambassador program, Team Awesome.