Last Friday afternoon, I was sitting near the shore of Lake Ontario, reading the news about the U.S. President’s attempt to rename it.
Prime Minister Carney had responded with a post about the lake’s name, its Indigenous origins and its history. He also used the word: hydronym — the proper name for a body of water. I had to Google it. Which, I gotta say as a career writer, is a rare thing.
Sitting by the lake, a line occurred to me: My Hydronyms are Lake & Ontario.
I did a quick mock-up of what it might look like on a hat. Then I called our friends at Branded By Collins in London and asked how quickly they could build an e-commerce site. They said they could move immediately.
Next, we contacted Swim Drink Fish, the Canadian charity behind Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. They got back to us within 15 minutes and saw the same opportunity we did.
Over the weekend, we worked together to design the logo, create the campaign and plan its rollout. By Monday, the online store was ready. Swim Drink Fish quickly produced some smart, funny Instagram content that helped carry the idea further.
The campaign has since been covered by CBC News, Newstalk 1010, Strategy Online and others. More importantly, people have responded. At last count, roughly 500 shirts had been sold. And because $10 from each shirt goes to Swim Drink Fish, that is about $5,000 for a worthy Canadian organization — along with greater awareness of their work to protect our waters. Not bad.
Swim Drink Fish deserves huge props for recognizing the moment and moving quickly. They understood that the right line in a tough time could be used to do good.
There is a broader communications lesson here. When a story is moving, organizations can jump to the head of the parade. The question is what kind of impact they want to make when they get there.
Timely ideas can sell products, attract attention or support a greater good. Whatever the goal, the key is to move fast — and to do it thoughtfully and well.
And if you’d like to support a worthy Canadian cause, and make a statement, please visit the Swim Drink Fish store and pick something up.
