Membership loss in the 0 – 9 and under 40 age groups in key areas of Calgary created an opportunity for the Library to develop an ad campaign targeted at millennial parents, in particular mothers, welcoming them back into Library locations after two years of COVID-19 closures. Data showed that Calgarians had concerns about the impact of social isolation on their mental health and were looking forward to gathering as a community, which we used to create a campaign with language that encouraged connection.

“This Ad Is For” was a shift from our previous membership campaigns, where we highlight specific programs and services for a particular audience. This playful campaign spoke to millennial parents about the sense of wonder, connection, and opportunities for growth their family could enjoy at the Library. We selected digital billboard and transit shelter locations in communities with a high percentage of our target audience, and geotargeted video ads and posts by social media influencers online to the same audiences.

The campaign target was exceeded by 54% with more than 126,500 members registered in 2022. The campaign was in market for four months, where we gained 38% of total new members and nearly 60% of our campaign target.

Memberships for ages 0 – 9 increased by 34%, ages 10 – 19 increased by 16%, ages 20 – 29 increased by 13%, and ages 30 – 39 increased by 15%. This was an excellent opportunity to test a multi-platform approach on a large-scale campaign, while also showing how the Library contributes to community in Calgary.