Shape Stratford

Graphic depicting various groups of people enclosed in houses

about

The Town of Stratford in Prince Edward Island, Canada, received $1.1 million in funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to participate in the Housing Supply Challenge. This project aimed to find innovative solutions to barriers around new housing supply.

scope

Naming
Logo design
Brand identity
Strategy
Campaigns
Marketing collateral
Website UI/UX design & development

challenge

A severe housing shortage is affecting the town (among other Canadian communities), with an anticipated shortfall of housing to meet population growth over the next 20 years.

solution

A public education campaign was created to engage and educate community members and decision-makers about the value of densification. The campaign extended to applications such as social media, in-person sessions, webinars, surveys, print and digital media, radio, programmatic marketing, an online platform, educational modules, and interactive modelling tools and games.

The logo's symbol is composed of repeating roof shapes to convey densification. These shapes also signal growth, expansion, and success with upward arrows.

Primary logo design

An ad campaign graphic on the back of a bus that reads, "Young adults want their first home. More housing is needed. Let's talk solutions."

And ad campaign on a bus shelter that reads, "Your child's teacher needs a home. More housing is needed. Let's talk solutions."

And ad campaign on a bus that reads, "Your favorite server needs a home. More housing is needed. Let's talk solutions."

An ad campaign graphic that reads, "There's no place like home...Unless you don't have one."

And ad campaign on social media that reads, "There's no place like home...unless you don't have one."

Rejected Campaign Concept
"...it doesn't have to be scary."

The myth of a "monster under the bed" stems from imagination, fear, and fictitious stories.
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As we all know, when one finally musters the courage to take a peek—there isn't ever a monster under your bed.

This campaign uses the 'monster under the bed' as a metaphor for the fear surrounding affordable housing. Targeted at established homeowners from higher-income brackets—those who pose the greatest challenge in terms of resonating with the message—it seeked to engage the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) group directly. By addressing the root causes of their fears and opening a dialogue around their concerns, the campaign aimed to demystify the issue and show through education that affordable housing is not so scary after all.

Website design of Shape Stratford displayed on three devices

Click the link to explore the live Shape Stratford website.

view Shape stratford

Website interface for Shape the Future of Stratford modelling simulation

Website design for Shape Your Community game

Website interface for the engagement section for Shape Stratford

Myth busting section on the Shape Stratford website