Hard Rock Bet Casino is marking its Ontario launch with a campaign inspired by the province’s sights and sounds.
The launch film by agency partner Memory combines fluid movements and transitions through familiar Toronto locations while showing people interacting with the brand’s mobile app in everyday moments.
Drawing on Hard Rock’s longstanding connection to music, Memory also partnered with Toronto rappers Choclair, Kardinal Offishall and Saukrates to reimagine the late-’90s classic “Let’s Ride.”
According to Lauren Varnas, vice president of brand marketing at Hard Rock Bet, Ontario is a key market for the company, and it wanted the launch to reflect a genuine commitment to the province from day one.
According to Varnas, the work feels authentically local while staying true to the energy, entertainment and trust people expect from the brand.
Image courtesy of Hard Rock Bet
“Let’s Ride” also serves as the campaign soundtrack and will be available to download at launch, with behind-the-scenes content capturing the recording sessions.
“Hard Rock has something incredibly powerful in this category: people already know the brand,” says Memory co-founder and chief creative officer, Ian Mackenzie. “We’re building on that existing affinity while introducing Hard Rock Bet to Ontario. It’s brand and performance working together across the full journey.”
That journey spans television, audio, streaming, digital, search, affiliate, sponsorships, social and CRM, with additional work rolling out throughout the month. A DOOH presence will follow across Toronto, including immersive, motion-led executions designed specifically for Ontario audiences.
The shop says the assignment represents one of its largest since the independent agency launched just over a year ago, spanning brand strategy, creative and performance.
Media was handled in-house by the client.
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