As part of the account services team at Rethink, I supported Centraide of Greater Montréal on a brand activation that let people feel the weight of poverty firsthand. Just as holiday shopping was getting underway, we temporarily rigged the payment terminal at the Zone Maison store on Saint-Denis Street. Shoppers saw their cards declined for insufficient funds before Centraide stepped in to explain. That moment of discomfort at the checkout is an everyday reality for nearly one in five households in Greater Montréal, which don’t earn enough to cover their basic needs. The experience was captured on video and amplified online and through media relations. It invited people to add a donation to Centraide to their holiday gift list.
