Red Balloon Wednesdays Campaign 

• Client: ABA Canada
• Project Type: National Advocacy + Awareness Campaign
• Platform: Social Media, Web, Email, PR
• Date: Launched in 2022

Overview

During COVID-19 lockdowns, salons and spas across Canada faced prolonged closures despite implementing strong safety protocols. The industry was left out of key reopening plans and financial support conversations, threatening thousands of small businesses and careers.

ABA Canada needed a high-impact, unifying campaign to spotlight the economic value of the industry, demand fair treatment, and amplify the collective voice of salon professionals.

Our Approach

City Media Collective collaborated with ABA Canada to bring the Red Balloon Wednesday campaign to life — a national, visual protest that was peaceful, bold, and impossible to ignore.

We developed and delivered:

• Campaign branding and strategy centred on the red balloon as a symbol of solidarity and visibility

• Social media graphics, reels, and motion content for national rollout

• Editable print + digital toolkits so salons could participate easily

• Custom posters and protest visuals with slogans like “Salons Are Safe” and “Ford Fails Beauty”

• Email marketing and campaign landing pages for updates and participation

• A central petition to government, demanding safe and fair reopening for the professional beauty industry

• PR support and media outreach to boost national coverage

• Hashtag campaign to build awareness: #RedBalloonWednesday, #FordFailsBeauty, #KeepSalonsOpen

Results & Impact

At the heart of the campaign was a national petition that gathered over 7,000 signatures, urging government officials to treat salons as essential and safe. Shared widely across email, social media, and in-salon posters, it became a key tool in rallying the industry.

The campaign results included:

• Hundreds of participating salons

• Thousands of social shares using #RedBalloonWednesday

• National media attention

• A unified voice for Canada’s $7B+ beauty industry

From the Client

“This campaign gave our industry a voice when we felt invisible. City Media Collective captured the urgency and passion behind it — and gave us tools to rally a nation.”
— ABA Canada