Quebec City tourism turned residents' stories into a 25-foot mural

Destination Québec cité and lg2's long-running collaboration needed a 2022 summer campaign that was 'unifying, inspiring and authentic' for residents and tourists alike.

A documentary of locals' love letters to Quebec City became the brief for a 25-foot mural — the city painted from its residents' words.

lg2 filmed a short documentary of a Toronto anglophone, a Wendat singer, a Belgian immigrant, a retired boxer and other locals; Montreal muralists Korb and Ax, with no first-hand knowledge of the region, translated those stories into a 25-foot mural in Saint-Roch, a tribute to the Fresque des Québécois.

A French 2m30s documentary plus 30s and 15s English TV spots ran in Quebec, Ontario and the US; the mural stays in Saint-Roch as a permanent new attraction for what the client calls 'a veritable open-air museum'.

For summer 2022, Destination Québec cité and longtime agency lg2 built 'Québec City, an inspiring destination' around the people who live there rather than the postcard landmarks. A short documentary gathered testimonials from a Toronto anglophone, a Wendat singer, a Belgian immigrant, a retired boxer, a literary columnist, a young history teacher and other locals about what makes the region special to them.

Those stories then became the raw material for the campaign's centerpiece: a 25-foot mural in the Saint-Roch district, painted by Montreal artists Korb and Ax as a tribute to the city's renowned Fresque des Québécois. The two had no first-hand experience of the region, so they immersed themselves in the filmed testimonies to 'see' it through fresh eyes, turning residents' words and emotions into images — what the agency called a work of art for and from all residents.

The rollout covered both audiences: a 2-minute-30 documentary in French and 30- and 15-second English TV spots by theme, running on TV and online in Quebec and online in Ontario and the United States. Director Robert Mercure of Destination Québec cité said bringing everything together in a mural gives the destination 'a lasting legacy', while lg2 account manager Claudia Trudeau noted the client is 'always ready to jump in with both feet, even with unexpected concepts.'

A destination brand that only shows attractions competes with every tourism board; the residents' own voices are something competitors cannot copy.

The mural format gave a seasonal ad campaign a physical afterlife in the city it promotes.

Artists forced to see the region secondhand — through locals' words — recreated the outsider curiosity a tourism message needs.

The documentary structure let minority and immigrant locals represent the capital, matching the 'colourful residents' idea in the title.

Tourism campaigns usually point cameras at the place; handing residents the narrative — and letting artists paint their words — turns marketing into civic legacy.

The campaign ran through summer 2022 across TV and online in Quebec, Ontario and the US, and the mural remained in Saint-Roch as a lasting attraction; DQc and lg2 continued their collaboration.