Refugees don’t move into countries — they move into communities.
Canadians value lifting up others, including refugees, but many don’t believe it's feasible for them to materially support another family.
That’s why the Government of Canada created the Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) program. This special pathway allows groups of 5-10 Canadians to sponsor refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Then, the federal government shares the cost of resettlement with the sponsorship group. This allows sponsors to focus on the social and logistical components of a refugee’s transition into their neighbourhood.
Our task was to craft a campaign that would raise awareness of this unique refugee sponsorship program and encourage action from audiences ready to consider becoming sponsors.
Becoming a refugee sponsor is not a decision you make lightly. It may seem daunting to sign up to be responsible for a person — or even an entire family — and support them as they transition to a new chapter.
Our work began by distilling the complex experience of sponsorship. We identified that at its core sponsorship is about welcoming someone to your block, your community, your city. We wanted to tap into local pride — the joy of dining at a family owned restaurant or restocking your produce from the farmer’s market.
The campaign, It Takes A Local, was born from the idea that locals—those who know and love their communities—are uniquely positioned to welcome newcomers.. Locals have the information newcomers need: how to navigate transit, where the library is, what after-school program their kids should enrol in. The modular messaging system worked to capture those seemingly small but meaningful actions needed from sponsors —like ‘It takes a ride on the bus.’
The campaign logo embodied this spirit, taking the form of a house that could be rotated to transform into an arrow or a map pinpoint—symbols of home, direction, and belonging.
We also designed materials like printable door hangers and fillable posters to take the work beyond the online realm and into neighbourhoods to spark curiosity and show the breadth of support for refugees from coast to coast.
