Intact Insurance Uses Handcrafted Miniatures to Combat $2.4B Extreme Weather Crisis

With wildfires and flooding continuing to impact communities nationwide, the reality of extreme weather has never felt more close to home. In 2025, insured damage caused by severe weather events exceeded $2.4 billion, making it the tenth costliest year on record in Canada. As these events become more frequent and severe, Intact Insurance is bringing those risks to life in a creative social media video series designed to help Canadians visualize and take action to help prevent damage before it happens. The campaign is part of Keep it Intact, Intact Insurance's prevention program launched in 2025 to help Canadians better protect their homes against extreme weather.

The campaign follows a handcrafted miniature house through five extreme weather events – wildfire, flooding, hailstorms, strong winds and snowstorms – showing in vivid, tangible detail what these perils can do to a home. Each weather event is paired with practical prevention tips that homeowners can act on today. The full video series is available at keepitintact.ca and on Intact Insurance's YouTube channel.

"For many homeowners, the risks of extreme weather can feel abstract. It's hard to imagine a flood or a hail storm affecting your own home until you see it. The miniatures campaign is designed to change that. It's a serious message delivered in a scroll-stopping way," says Mel Wright, VP Communications and Head of Intact Insurance's Prevention Program.

Built entirely by hand

Every scene in the campaign was designed and custom-built by professional miniature artist Spencer Barclay and his team. Spencer was a frequent contributor to Little Canada, the popular Toronto attraction showcasing Canada through the art of miniature. The miniature house was constructed at a scale of 1:12, with no AI used in the making of any of the videos. The hail, wind, flooding, snow, smoke and burn marks were all hand-crafted, giving the effects an authenticity that resonates.

The production was a significant undertaking:

• The model home was constructed with interchangeable panels to demonstrate the different effects of each climate disaster.
• Six versions of the pre-flood basement were built to accommodate multiple flooding takes, with an additional post-flood version constructed as well.
• The tree on set was made from a combination of plastic plants, art materials, real tree branches and bark for added realism.
• All props were custom-designed in Intact brand colours, including an ice grinder and flame thrower.
• Pieces of the home were burned with actual fire to achieve more realistic effects.

"Miniatures are a wonderful storytelling device. They give you the opportunity to show things at a high level of detail in a very contained, focused way – there are so many educational opportunities in that," says Spencer Barclay, Miniature Artist.

The campaign was produced by VMG Cinematic, whose team worked closely with Spencer Barclay over 12 months to develop and produce the concept. The result is a series that is as visually striking as it is purposeful, bringing together practical effects, handcrafted artistry and a clear prevention message in a way that sets the campaign apart from anything else in the category.

"From day one, we felt that this project was special. This campaign stands out because the team pushed the boundaries of creativity at every step. Everyone brought their best, from writing to design to production, delivering a message that matters," says Anup Rao, Executive Producer, VMG Cinematic.