RENT-A-FEATHER

CHALLENGE

We’ve seen it all! When it comes to Reconciliation, a company’s good intentions aren’t always good enough. If companies don’t get it right the first time, they can do more harm than good. True Reconciliation is not about checking a box; it’s about listening and understanding the TRUTH and the ACTION that follows.

And so, the time has come to challenge corporate Canada, in the name of public service, and raise awareness of the appropriate, and not so appropriate ways, to engage in Reconciliation efforts. We tasked ourselves to target executive leadership across Canada and infiltrate the walls and minds of those in a position to effect real, lasting change and drive meaningful Reconciliation across Turtle Island.

While engaging Indigenous Elders, community, and cross-functional Indigenous team members is important, in isolation, this practice falls far short of what’s required to build and execute a sound strategy. But being able to intimately understand Indigenous worldviews, values, traditions, lived-experiences, challenges, thought processes and ways of life – through the lens of seasoned Indigenous marketers – to borrow a term, is priceless.

So, how do we inspire leaders and decision-makers to pause the hamster wheel and reflect on whether they’re equipped with the right insights, strategies and resources to make an impact?

SOLUTION

Enter “Rent-A-Feather”, a digital campaign intended to wake and shake things up. Steeped in satire, this campaign is designed to provoke thoughts on what true Reconciliation is and the work it requires beyond the calendar-driven, symbolic gestures. This edgy approach sheds light by exaggerating the superficial gestures we’ve seen along the way.

The campaign features a fictitious Indigenous company, Rent-A-Feather, which offers a range of stereotypical Indigenous elements for rent to add instant ‘authenticity’ to corporate events and DEI strategies. By using satire to dramatize the missteps we see all too often, the campaign sheds light on the inadequacies of tokenism and the importance of engaging Indigenous marketing expertise.

Launched on the heels of Indigenous History Month and leading into Canada Day, the campaign drives awareness and educates on the importance of finding the ‘right way’ to work towards Reconciliation and calls attention to the critical importance for engagement beyond tokenism.

The campaign drives to a fictitious website Rent-A-Feather.com, where we reveal the truth behind the satire and who we are. With this approach, we aim to challenge the status quo and inspire corporate Canada to engage with Indigenous partners and communities in a meaningful way. We’re inviting ourselves to the table, challenging the executive leaders of corporate Canada, to engage with some of the industry’s most experienced Indigenous thought leaders, BOOM InterTribal.

We are BOOM InterTribal. An Indigenous marketing and advertising agency working with some of the largest corporations in North America, spearheading Indigenous-led marketing strategies and creative solutions. BOOM’s decades of experience in this niche market have shown that true Reconciliation requires deep commitment to understanding, trusted partnerships and strategic action.

We want to elevate Indigenous voices, perspectives, and narratives and to help lead Corporate Canada on their path of Reconciliation, while upholding the reputations that took decades to establish.

We see ourselves as a catalyst to a genuine social awakening for the Indigenous community and the allies ready to stand with us.

We seek the brave, the bold, the unwavering.

RESULTS

We’ll keep you posted…