Creative agency Sid Lee and BGC Canada collaborate on unique NFT donation drive

Toronto, October 18, 2021 – BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada) partnered with creative agency Sid Lee to release Non-Fungible Donations – an auction that converts children’s artwork into non-fungible tokens (or NFTs) to raise funds that will benefit kids and teens at BGC Clubs across the country. All BGC kids’ artwork will be auctioned off, and the proceeds will be used to run local community programs and launch new initiatives for younger generations. The idea transforms the splashy concept of NFTs into a charitable and altruistic effort.

According to Canada Without Poverty (CWP), 1 in 5 children in Canada live in poverty (with Indigenous children at 1 in 2). With programs and services tailored to the needs of local communities, BGC Clubs create opportunities that help young people overcome barriers that stand in their way, including tackling poverty through youth employment, education and training, shelter and housing, nutrition and food security, and more.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been very difficult for young people and their families and our Clubs have seen a huge increase in demand for our services,” said Owen Charters, President & CEO of BGC Canada. “Combining the creativity of our Club youth with a cutting edge donation campaign that will reach new audiences is the type of thinking we need to help us recover from the pandemic and strive to meet more community needs. As we always say, opportunity changes everything.”

By using one of the most popular cryptocurrencies on the market, the creative team at Sid Lee initiated a fundraiser that merges their knowledge of the digital realm and BGC Canada’s resources. In Q1 of 2021 alone, NFT sales accounted for nearly two billion dollars. With that information, the idea to use NFTs as a means of collecting donations was born. “For kids, the sky is the limit and with this campaign we really wanted to capture that,” said Matt Fraracci, Creative Director at Sid Lee. “It was important that we highlighted the talent of the kids who are directly impacted and allow their visions to come to life in a brand-new way. By repurposing NFTs and taking advantage of the attention that they receive, we are able to direct that awareness to a cause that counts.”

The art will be digitally scanned and added to the Opensea marketplace which allows the donations to be collected through the NFTs. The auction will begin on October 18th, and the lowest bid will start at 0.1ETH ($400CAD). To place a bid on the site or find out more about this innovation, please visit opensea.io/bgc.

Credits:

Client: BGC

Agency: Sid Lee
Executive Creative Director: Jeff Da Silva
Creative Director: Matthew Fraracci
Associate Creative Director: Tim Zimmerman
Art Director: Runda Dong
Copywriter: Jake Hulsebosch
Account Director: Shannon Griscti
Producer: Michael Oshell
Editor: Runda Dong, Emma O’Neill
Motion Graphics: Emma O’Neill
Designer: Sam Dal Monte
PR: Katia Aubin, Kristel Dupont, Maya Marcus

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

About Sid Lee
Sid Lee is a borderless creative agency applying storytelling, design and technology to build customer experiences that matter. Their multi-disciplinary team of 900 professionals works as one out of offices in Montreal, Toronto, New York, Paris, London, LA and Seattle. Working side by side with progressive clients, they deploy their creative capabilities in several disciplines, ranging from design to interactive and experiential communication to advertising and architecture. Practicing agile creative and production development, as well as radical collaboration both internally and with their clients, they create work that matters, allowing their clients to outperform their competitors and earn the trust and loyalty of their customers.

Offering fully integrated solutions across the globe, Sid Lee is a member of kyu, a collective of top-tier global creative companies — including IDEO and SYPartners — established by Hakuhodo DY Holdings, the second-largest agency network in Asia. Together, we propel our belief that creativity has the power to move the economy and society forward. Sid Lee also imagined C2 Montréal, one of the largest innovation conferences in the world.

For all press inquiries, please contact: Maya Marcus mmarcus@sidlee.com

Published on Cision Oct. 4, 2021

New video & campaign raises awareness about the life-changing impact of BGC Clubs across Canada

Toronto, ON, October 4, 2021 – Working with Toronto-based ROUND agency, BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada) today released a new campaign that showcases the confidence BGC Clubs instill in 200,000 kids and teens every year. Available in English and French, No. More. Barriers. is our first national campaign after recently rebranding to BGC—a renewed identity that embraces the inclusive practices we are known for across the country.

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

All kids face barriers. BGC Clubs help them understand and overcome those barriers through community-based services, life-changing programs, and positive relationships with peers and caring adults.

“The young people in the video are not actors or musicians. What you see is the confidence of actual Club members—and the same could be found in any Club across the country,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “Removing barriers and creating opportunities for all kids and teens is at the heart of what we do, which is also encapsulated by our recent brand refresh to BGC. We are grateful to the Club youth in the video for so strongly representing all Club members across Canada.”

BGC Clubs give young people a platform to tell their own stories. The No. More. Barriers. video was filmed with Club youth, who also created the campaign’s soundtrack with the help of MJMS music school, and Club member testimonial inspired the illustrations. A behind-the-scenes video is also available, along with a graphic for media use.

“My experience at a BGC Club helped me realize my potential and see that I could become a leader,” says Valentina Shamoun, National Youth of the Year and member of BGC East Scarborough. “The No. More. Barriers. theme is empowering and reminds youth that the opportunities and support provided by our Clubs can help them overcome anything. I am excited to be part of such a powerful and meaningful campaign.”

As trusted community organizations, BGC Clubs continue to support young people and their families, virtually and in-person, by removing barriers and creating opportunities:

• In 2020, BGC Clubs across Canada provided 6.1 million healthy meals and snacks and increased food relief efforts in communities nationwide
• Club staff produced over 75,000 hours of high-quality virtual programming at the height of the pandemic
• BGC Clubs across the country run job readiness programs for youth and directly employ thousands of young people
• BGC Canada further embedded anti-discrimination practices across our organization, including an anti-racism toolkit, Truth & Reconciliation activation guide, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training, microgrants for youth-led anti-racism projects, and more

And it’s working—young people who attend a Club struggle less with academics and are more engaged in learning, avoid risky health behaviours, and have less interaction with the justice system.

Our rallying cry? Opportunity Changes Everything. Learn more at opportunitychangeseverything.com.

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jared Morrow, BGC Canada
jmorrow@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2202

Meet BGC

It’s official. Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada has become BGC Canada. Not to be trendy. Not because it’s shorter or catchier. But because Clubs across the country open their doors to all kids and teens and we believe our name should reflect that.

Removing gender from our name modernizes the BGC brand and echoes the inclusive practices we’re known for without straying too far from our history and national brand awareness. It also embraces the fact that we serve young people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities.

New name, same legacy: 120+ years of creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens.

A big thank you to the many Club staff, youth, volunteers, consultants, and other important stakeholders who offered invaluable input throughout our consultations.