Learning the Past,
Changing the Future.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Creative Strategy, Campaign Platform, Integrated Campaign

Through powerful storytelling, we illuminate the dark history of the LGBT Purge, making it relevant to today’s youth and empowering them to learn from the past and stand against hate today.

Challenge

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Love in a Dangerous Time is an exhibition at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) that tells the story of Canada’s LGBT Purge—a devastating period in Canadian history. From the 1950s to the 1990s, the Government of Canada systematically investigated, harassed, and fired 2SLGBTQI+ members of the federal public service, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the RCMP. The challenge was to develop an effective strategy that not only tells the story but also encourages people to engage with it.

Our work began with the LGBT Purge survivors. Through interviews and listening to their first-hand accounts, we were able to build a deep sense of empathy that informed our strategic approach. Most importantly, the survivors told us that they wanted their stories to help today’s youth become more vigilant against discrimination. This desired legacy became our central insight.

Leveraging the Museum’s custom Wellbeing Framework™, we identified our core-audience as the 2SLGBTQI+ community and their allies. Our job? Encouraging them to embrace the disorientation they would feel when they visit the exhibition. This insight led to the creation of our campaign’s core message: “Learn our history for our future.”

Strategy

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For the campaign, we faced several creative challenges: telling a deeply painful and complex story spanning decades with sensitivity, historical accuracy, and cultural relevance. Our mission was to honour the survivors, educate Canadians unfamiliar with the Purge, and connect with a younger generation in a way that felt contemporary and relatable.

The creative direction, Criminalized for Duty, brings the injustice of the LGBT Purge into sharp focus. This government-led campaign of discrimination targeted individuals who weren’t spies or threats—they were simply humans doing their jobs and proudly serving their country. By using familiar workplace cues, we frame the Purge’s story in a modern and universally relatable context.

The centrepiece is a :30 second hero video that portrays a haunting journey through five decades of the Purge, symbolized by a single long, government-style hallway. Five diverse talents represent each decade, from the 1950s to the 1990s, their performances capturing an emotional arc—from disbelief at being dismissed for their identity, to grief, to a final moment of defiant strength as they confront the camera.

Meticulous attention to historical accuracy ensures wardrobe and styling authentically reflect each era. A cast and a production team that includes members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community underscore the importance of representation in bringing this story to life.

The still imagery amplifies the campaign’s message, featuring government workers holding boxes of personal belongings stamped with “National Security Threat” in red. This stark juxtaposition between the ordinary and the absurd highlights the Purge’s injustice. The Pride flag, vividly coloured against a muted backdrop, symbolizes the resilience and defiance of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

The integrated campaign spans video cutdowns, radio, social media, digital, OOH, and print, delivering a cohesive narrative across platforms. Directed by Myles from Revolver Films, the campaign balances emotional storytelling with a call for reflection and awareness.

Through Criminalized for Duty, we shed light on this dark chapter of Canadian history while honouring the courage of those who endured the Purge.

Creative

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