The Tropicana brand is taking a uniquely Canadian approach in the trend of expedition marketing through its new “Brighter Mornings for Brighter Days” campaign launching on March 1st. And it couldn’t come at a better time, when Canadian pride is at an all-time high. Next week, Tropicana will invite Canadians on a journey to one of the country’s northernmost towns during the coldest and darkest days of the winter.

To kick-off the national campaign, Tropicana literally brought a brighter morning to the frigid, remote Arctic town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, where its 3,500 residents live without a sunrise for weeks each winter. A team of Canadian filmmakers captured the monumental raising of the sun in Inuvik for a series of documentary-style commercials, which will be featured prominently in the new campaign.

The 30- and 60-second spots document the raising of a 36-foot wide helium balloon on January 9, 2010 in the dark mid-morning sky over Inuvik’s Jim Koe Park. With curious residents looking on, the balloon illuminated the dark sky, emitting roughly the same amount of light provided by the sun. The Tropicana Brand’s ’sunrise’ coincided with Inuvik’s annual Sunrise Festival, which celebrates the return of sunlight after weeks of relative darkness.

Arctic weather conditions and Inuvik’s remote location provided a unique challenge for filmmakers charged with bringing to life the creative concept developed for Tropicana by BBDO Toronto’s Ian McKellar, Executive Creative Director, and Associate Creative Directors John Terry and Adam Bailey. Canadian documentary film director Samir Mallal’s inspirational 60-second portrayal of brighter mornings is grounded in the crowd’s response to the sunrise, which is further enhanced by an evocative soundtrack titled “The Great Escape” by Montreal-based Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson.

In advance of the Canadian premiere, Tropicana will provide an exclusive private preview of the 60-second commercial to Inuvik residents today, many of whom took part in the filming. “Everyone in Inuvik has been curious to see the commercial and it will be special for us to come together and view it as a community first,” says Inuvik Mayor Denny Rodgers. “With the Olympics going on right now, I’m feeling such a profound sense of Canadian pride, so the timing couldn’t be better to share Inuvik’s own home town pride with the rest of Canada through this campaign. I think Canadians will enjoy this portrayal of Inuvik very much – it’s a beautiful piece of film, it truly moved me.”

In addition to TV advertising, the campaign will feature blogged commentary and behind-the-scenes imagery from Inuvik to provide a catalyst for conversation on a new Tropicana Brighter Mornings Facebook page, which will launch as the new commercials premiere nationally. Throughout the course of the campaign, Tropicana will aim to create and facilitate compelling “brighter mornings” stories with consumers online, through social media, public relations initiatives and a major sponsorship with Breakfast Television in key markets across Canada.