In November 2012, The Gazette launched a special series called “Frenglish.” 

The term “Frenglish” refers to a fusion of the English and French languages. The series offered an apolitical analysis of how Montrealers navigate life in a bilingual city. 

The content — which lived on numerous digital platforms, including Web, mobile, and tablet — included videos, reader surveys, expert opinions from linguistic professors, a glossary of swear words found in the “Swearing in French, Swearing in English” article, and a one-of-a-kind, Montreal Wiki Dictionary, to which readers were invited to contribute.

The campaign, created by Bleublancrouge, was a thoughtful, funny exploration of Montreal’s je ne sais quoi, triggering curiosity and inspiring people to click and read by playing on Anglophones’ unique sense of identity.

It was a great time to affirm that whether French or English, we are Montrealers and “Frenglish” brings us together. The campaign included newspaper print ads, Web, mobile and tablet banners, and a radio spot.

After only three months, the micro-site generated some impressive results, which exceeded the objectives: 

• The campaign garnered more than 140,000 pageviews (40% greater than the objective).
  
  
• The reader survey yielded 4,232 responses and more than 15,000 pageviews. Its results page also generated 12,000 pageviews.
  
  
• In addition, there have been approximately 80,000 visits to the site (67% greater than the visits objective).

With “Frenglish,” The Gazette was able to appeal to its audience by covering relevant local content while highlighting its city’s most unique characteristic. The series also further emphasised the newspaper’s deep connection to Montreal’s culture and community, in the eyes of its readers.

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