The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is calling on Canadians to pressure the Bank of Montreal over its current soccer-related campaign, citing a four-year labour dispute in which advertising agencies producing work for the bank have locked out ACTRA performers.

A news release distributed Friday urges Canadians to voice their concerns directly to BMO through social media regarding “Grow the Game,” a wide-scale campaign launched with TBWA\Canada to coincide with the FIFA World Cup. The union says the campaign was produced under an arrangement that prevents ACTRA performers covered under the union’s National Commercial Agreement (NCA) from working on it. The NCA establishes terms and conditions for performers engaged in English-language commercial production in Canada.

ACTRA Toronto president Kate Ziegler tells strategy that the union chose to launch its campaign on Friday because of the scale and visibility of BMO’s advertising efforts during Toronto-hosted matches for the World Cup, adding that the work was a frequent point of frustration for members during the union’s annual general meeting on June 23.

Images courtesy of ACTRA

Ziegler says the union hopes public pressure will encourage BMO to require its agency partners to return to the NCA, allowing ACTRA performers to once again work on commercial productions tied to the bank’s advertising.

“My hope is that BMO and TBWA\Canada do the right thing and bring the campaign back to ACTRA, and with it all the other campaigns that ACTRA members would love to be working on,” Ziegler said.

While claiming its grievance is primarily with BMO and TBWA\Canada, ACTRA called special attention to Chicago-born actor Lamorne Morris’s role as the face of the campaign. Morris began working as the financial institution’s “BMO Guy” spokesperson in March 2019, when the bank was working with FCB, an agency that was folded into TBWA\Canada as part of Omnicom’s merger with Interpublic Group late last year. FCB won a mandate in July 2015 to lead all branding work across North America as part of the bank’s agency collaboration model.

The ACTRA dispute dates back to 2022, when negotiations over the NCA broke down after the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) – which then represented Juniper Park\TBWA and now represents TBWA\Canada among its many member agencies – sought changes to the agreement that ACTRA argued would weaken its bargaining rights. The matter remains before the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB).

ICA president and CEO Scott Knox declined to comment on the dispute that he says is currently before the OLRB.

“As the dispute is currently before the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). Respecting the role and processes of this governmental body, the ICA cannot comment on proceedings,” Knox said in a statement to strategy. “We look forward to the results of OLRB deliberations.”

Strategy has yet to hear back from BMO and TBWA\Canada after reaching out for additional comment.