News release details

National awareness campaign grows with launch of new television promos 

Today marks 100 days until the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) opens its doors to the public as Canada's new national museum on September 20, 2014.

As part of an ongoing national awareness campaign, new video spots have begun airing nationwide, promoting the CMHR as a stunning travel destination and global hub of human rights education. A media event was held today in the Museum classrooms to showcase the videos and the local talent behind them.

"These new videos truly capture both the scale and spirit of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights," said Stuart Murray, the museum's president and CEO. "Not only are the videos visually stunning, they celebrate the museum's unique relevance to Canadians in all parts of the country." 

Two of the four new videos have begun to air on national TV networks in English and French. The other two will be distributed later this summer. The spots are being run at no cost as public service announcements, given the Museum's non‐profit status. 

While the new video pieces will have a national profile, they're entirely a product of Winnipeg's thriving artistic community:

• The promotional videos were produced by Winnipeg's award‐winning Lank/Beach Productions, selected following a national request for submissions;
• The animation and special effects were developed by Winnipeg's Systematic Design Inc., whose past work includes two Superbowls, ABC News and NBC Sports;
• The background music in the videos is an original composition by Joe Silva of Winnipeg's Purescape Recordings, and features the voices of Winnipeg schoolchildren;
• Both the French and English voiceovers are performed by Winnipeg voice talent Carole Freynet‐Gagné and Bonnie Dickie.

As well as appearing on TV screens across the country, the new videos will be used as part of the museum's sales‐marketing efforts and by the museum's promotional partners. They are part of a wider campaign to promote awareness of the museum across Canada in the lead‐up to the official opening in September, which has also included working with tourism partners at national marketplace events with travel media and travel trade operators, including the Canadian's Tourism Commission's "Canada Media Marketplace" in San Francisco, the national gathering of the Travel Media Association of Canada, and RendezVous – Canada's premiere international travel marketing event, held this year in Vancouver.

In addition, a marketplace event for 150 prominent international travel journalists – GoMedia 2014 – will be held in Winnipeg this summer, including a reception at the CMHR. GoMedia is organized by the Canadian Tourism Commission, with local events hosted by Travel Manitoba. Stories about the CMHR have already been featured by many national and international media outlets, including Air Canada's Enroute magazine and West Jet's Up! magazine. 

Members of Parliament and Senators from across Canada were given a special sneak peek of the new videos last month during an event on Parliament Hill to promote national interest and awareness in the Museum, an event co‐hosted by the federal Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the Hon. Shelley Glover, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Hon. Andrew Scheer.

"The opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will mark a proud moment for citizens across the country," said Minister Glover. "These new videos pay tribute to Canadians' commitment to human rights and the museum's unique role in promoting understanding and dialogue across Canada and around the world."

The new videos can be viewed on the museum's Web site. Media can access broadcast‐quality versions in both French and English.