AToMiC AWARDS Killer ad, tech & content combos

BRANDS OF THE YEAR GSP CLAIMS CELEB TITLE RBC TAKES OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP + Joe Fresh, Ikea, Vidéotron, Cadbury

CoverOct11.indd 1 22/09/11 4:23 PM This year marked a time of unparalleled innovation for The Globe and Mail across all of our properties that would boldly change the way your clients’ brands are seen and experienced. We started with a dramatic redesign to both our daily paper and website, including the expansion of Globe Life online and the stunning revamp of Globe Style. We also showcased your brands in innovative ways through a suite of mobile applications, bringing unique connectivity to engaged Canadians. And now, thanks to you, we’re strategically poised for even more growth and innovation. It’s our ongoing promise to deliver you the complete package.

To learn more about our advertising opportunities, contact your Globe representative at: 1.800.387.9012 | [email protected] Or visit

ST.20008.GlobeAndMail.Ad.indd 1 22/09/11 2:01 PM CONTENTS

October 2011 • volume 22, issue 11

4 EDITORIAL Underpants, and other things that made us look

8 UPFRONT Jancy goes swimming, Tree Boy tastes freedom and Loblaw gets fancy

10 BRANDS OF THE YEAR From a fi ghter to furniture to fashion, 10 six brands delivered knockout punches 25 ATOMIC AWARDS A guy in his underwear wins big in the fi rst AToMiC Awards, celebrating the best in 25 media, technology, content and advertising 46 CREATIVE SmartSet looks sharp for those in-between moments and Rickard’s grows a mighty moustache

48 WHO Alix Box gets more adventurous with Holt Renfrew

52 DECONSTRUCTED Enterprise Rent-A-Car takes its new values to Canada, but will that get our motors running?

64 FORUM 48 Rob Linden on remembering recall and Chris Chan on learning to live with private labels

ON THE COVER If you don’t know GSP, you’re probably not a sports fan. No, it’s not a tax, it’s Georges St-Pierre, Canada’s MMA (that’s mixed martial arts) 66 BACK PAGE champion, a UFC (that’s Ultimate Fighting Championship) hero who has built Zulu Alpha Kilo captures the harsh new up an impressive and lucrative brand in a relatively short time span. We met Brand of the Year struggle up with GSP at the UFC Canada offi ces in Toronto, where photog Nigel Dickson snapped a few shots of the man with the heavy Québécois accent and quiet confi dence. GSP is just one of six Brands of the Year this issue, but we wouldn’t recommend that any of the others step into the octagon with him. Have you seen his opponents after a fi ght? Not pretty.

www.strategyonline.ca STRATEGY October 2011 3

Contents.Oct11.indd 3 23/09/11 2:56 PM EDITORIAL

October 2011 Volume 22, Issue 11 www.strategyonline.ca

Executive Editor / Mary Maddever / [email protected] Creative Director / Stephen Stanley / [email protected] Associate Editor / Emily Wexler / [email protected] Underpants, and Copy Chief / Melinda Mattos / [email protected] Special Reports Editor / Kelly Gadzala / [email protected] other things that Senior Writer / Jonathan Paul / [email protected] made us look Contributors / Chris Chan / Rob Linden / Val Maloney Executive Publisher / Russell Goldstein / [email protected] We actually don’t have a thing for knickers at strategy, men in underpants just seem to gravitate Account Manager / Neil Ewen / [email protected] onto our covers. In the case of DDB CEO Frank Palmer and his fi rst strategy cover, we had asked Account Manager / Kelly Nicholls / [email protected] him to squish into a shopping cart being pushed by the proverbial little Sales Agent / Mike Barrington / [email protected] old lady to illustrate “the consumer’s in control,” a popular rallying cry for change back in 2004. As you can see, he had a different graphic in Marketing Co-ordinator / Lauren Talledo / [email protected] mind. Fast-forward seven years, and consumers are now calling the shots hopped up on social-media steroids. And Frank’s more elegant Production & Distribution Co-ordinator / Robert Lines / [email protected] visual interpretation of the ad world impact is even more relevant. Our knicker-clad AToMiC Awards pull-out contains the winning Senior Manager, Audience Services / Jennifer Colvin / [email protected] cases from our new ad/tech/media creativity/content competition Manager, Audience Services / Christine McNalley / [email protected] – programs that found new ways to channel that consumer power. Since brands are moving into the content and tech Administration spaces, we partnered with sister publication Playback, which covers production, as well as Media in Canada, President & CEO / Russell Goldstein / [email protected] to capture the best work from Canada’s entire media VP & Editorial Director / Mary Maddever / [email protected] spectrum. So check out what made it to the medal round. VP & Chief Information Offi cer / Omri Tintpulver / [email protected] Thanks are due to AToMiC co-chairs Lauren Richards and VP Administration & Finance / Linda Lovegrove / [email protected] Mark Childs, plus all our advisors/judges who did double duty VP & Publisher, Realscreen / Claire Macdonald / [email protected] to put the program together (see p. A20), and everyone who participated (we’re sorry the entry deadline of every major VP & Publisher, Kidscreen / Jocelyn Christie / [email protected] award show in Canada hit you at the same time, and will rework the insane scheduling at our end next time). How to reach us Grand Prix congratulations go to John St. and Stanfi eld’s. Strategy, 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 Tel: (416) 408-2300 or 1-888-BRUNICO (1-888-278-6426) Fax: (416) 408-0870 This was an effort that used social media to best advantage, www.strategyonline.ca providing 24/7 coverage of a cancer survivor’s quest to trigger funding for his cause, gaining Customer care great organic energy as it romped through pop culture, with priceless moments like Strombo To order a subscription, visit www.strategyonline.ca/subscribe. To make a change to an crashing his blind date. existing subscription, please contact us by email: [email protected]. Tel: (416) 408-2448 Fax: (416) 408-0249. PO BOX 369 Beeton ON L0G 1A0. AToMiC winners span games to tech breakthroughs, so congratulations to everyone who tried new Subscription rates things, collaborated with new partners and set new bars. STRATEGY is published 12 times per year by Brunico Communications Ltd. In Canada: One year CA$80.00 Two years CA $144.00 This month we’re also celebrating strategy’s Brand of the Year winners (p. 10). Our celeb brand, (HST included. Registration #856051396 RT) gracing the cover, is a rarity in Canada. A sports star who is not a hockey player, Georges St-Pierre Single copy price in Canada is CA$6.95. Please allow four weeks for new subscriptions and is the face of UFC, responsible for bringing fans and brands into the octagon in Canada. address changes. Copyright and trademark Our overall winner, RBC, had a different challenge. Taking a venerable bank and giving it a STRATEGY and the tagline “Bold vision brand new ideas” are trademarks of Brunico distinct – and friendly – new face. No easy feat. But with patience, Arbie and the Blue Water Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced from STRATEGY in whole or cause, mission accomplished. in part without written permission. Reprint requests should be sent to [email protected]. © 2011 Brunico Communications Ltd. Joe Fresh’s success thus far – creating a credible fashion brand between the meat and produce Postmaster notification aisles – is incredible, and now it’s poised to stand alone in the fi erce fashion ring, taking its cheap- Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Strategy, PO BOX 369, Beeton ON L0G 1A0 [email protected] as-chips togs to Fifth Avenue, making it one of those rare things, a new made-in-Canada brand export. U.S. Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Strategy PO BOX 1103 Niagara We also loved Ikea’s quirky stranglehold on cheap and cheerful design, Vidéotron’s slick new Falls NY 14304 Printed in Canada. Canada Post Agreement No. 40050265. ISSN: 1187-4309. visage and success in Quebec, and Cadbury’s commitment to its heritage while taking the Member of confectionery category into new spaces. Congrats to all the teams who made it work. Which brings me back to that consumer who’s in control, who almost got to push Frank Palmer around in a grocery cart, and now decides who is “liked” by a whole new set of criteria. One way CPG brands are responding is an increased focus on shopper marketing, and infl uencing in the We acknowledge the fi nancial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. aisles is getting more sophisticated and tougher. To capture some of that retail action, strategy launched an online Shopper Marketing Report this month. So sign up online and send us your news. Using FSC certifi ed products supports Cheers, mm responsible forest management. Mary Maddever, exec editor, strategy, Media in Canada and stimulant

4 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

EditMasthead.Oct11.indd 4 26/09/11 10:39 AM ST.20148.MiC_HA.indd 1 11-09-23 1:59 PM A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER October 2011, Volume 22, Issue 11 www.strategyonline.ca UPCOMING EVENTS The vise of reality just tightened As we go to press, the world is once again trying to understand the vast implications 99 SUDBURY • TORONTO • NOVEMBER 10TH, 2011 of our increasingly globalized economy and the complex web of financial interrelationships which drive it. The only alarming difference is that the bailouts RITZ CARLTON • TORONTO • JANUARY 23RD, 2012 under consideration are scarily moving up the food chain to the state level. What we don’t know is exactly how these economic issues in seemingly far off places will affect our Canadian economy. It’s obviously not good news, and what remains clear is that in a zero growth world economy, competition will ratchet up as companies new and old duke it out for market share, not just in their own territories but in new and relatively attractive ones too (like Canada). The age of unrelenting global competition charged by an increasingly flattened world has arrived, and it is ALSO IN THIS ISSUE… only a laser focus on accountability, innovation and effectiveness that will fuel the growth we all covet. While this is no revelation, clearly the vise of reality has tightened. PAGE S54 The challenges for marketers and their agency and media partners are manifold. Sure, everyone will tell you that you need talented people and a corporate culture driven to succeed, but there’s a tendency to leave out one critical element. We [ CREATIVE AGENCIES ] desperately need to find a way to improve our access to the cause and effect of real results. Not just attitudinal shifts or engagement, but longitudinal tracking of the drivers of sales volume sparked by in-market programs. After all, if our best, brightest and most creative team members don’t have the appropriate tools, how can their efforts be directed effectively? An equally interesting question is whether your organization is ready to embrace the transparency that this would provide, and how your client-agency-media relationship would change as a result. The drumbeat of digital technology and global reach is growing louder each day, making these once theoretical questions more and more practical to consider. In the meantime, there are some powerful proxies in place to measure success, and we here at strategy feel a strong sense of duty to help the market improve in this way. In that vein, we’ll be running our 2nd Annual Marketing Research & SupplementTouche.indd 1 23/09/11 10:12 AM Analytics supplement in our November issue, allowing research, analytics and UPCOMING business intelligence firms the opportunity to detail their latest methodologies for driving insights and learning to power the decisions of tomorrow. SUPPLEMENTS Additionally, we’ll be recognizing the most effective Canadian advertising campaigns at the CASSIES award ceremony on the evening of Jan. 23 to kick off Advertising Week. And this year we’re adding a half-day conference program the November 2011 very next morning which places Gold winning client-agency teams up on stage to discuss their programs from concept to execution. Marketing Research Is there a better time to invest in the effectiveness of your marketing organization? & Analytics Commitment date: October 13th Russell Goldstein Executive publisher, strategy, Media in Canada and stimulant Contact: Neil Ewen [email protected] or 416-408-2300 ext. 248

6 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

Publishers.Oct11.indd 6 23/09/11 3:11 PM - MacLAREN McCANN.

Congratulations to RBC Royal Bank® on being named one of Strategy Magazine’s Brands of the Year. From your friends at MacLAREN McCANN.

MacLAREN MRM MacLAREN M2 UNIVERSAL ™

® Registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ™ Trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. LOBLAW DONS BLACK TIE VONK AND KESTIN GO SWIMMING BY KELLY GADZALA

Arguably Canada’s best known creative duo Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin are leaving Ogilvy to branch out on their own. Now the next generation of creatives – and the current one – can benefi t from the wisdom that led to award-winning, attitude-changing programs for Dove and Hellmann’s. Vonk says their new endeavour – a leadership training business – lines up with a gap in the industry. “Nobody knows what they’re doing. People are learning by sink or swim or osmosis.” The name of the new enterprise is, in fact, Swim, and the goal is to make the osmosis easier, without all that sinking. “We’ve had amazing mentors, so we feel we can try to push up against what’s looking to us like an industry-wide crisis,” says Vonk, citing an Ad Age article that stated that baristas get more training than an average agency staffer. Watch out, specialty food stores, Loblaw is taking you on. The actual learning spans presentation skills to looking at clients’ business on a This month, the grocery chain is launching a new fi ne food more holistic level, helping agencies partner with clients more effectively. collection under its President’s Choice brand in 140 Loblaw Vonk describes the program as a dynamic experience that will spread out over three months and include online components. “No two will be alike,” she says, adding that grocery stores in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. the duo will “take advantage of our giant rolodexes” to keep Swim unique. The collection comprises more than 200 products While Kestin and Vonk remain based in Toronto, the Swim lessons go wherever including oils, vinegars, spreads, condiments, pasta, they’re needed, which in the case of their fi rst client – Ogilvy – is in New York in pasta sauces and more, whose ingredients have been October, followed by Chicago and L.A. Ian MacKellar, who was most recently ECD at Bensimon Byrne, has been named sourced worldwide and are more exotic than the typical the new CCO at Ogilvy in Toronto. MM PC fare (bacon marmalade made with balsamic vinegar, for example). Products will be featured in the aisles where people expect to fi nd them – so the oils in the oil section Augmented reality – in bump-out aisle sets that will have information on the product’s country of origin as well as recipes that can be Teehan+Lax takes AR to next level taken away. There will also be information and resources at BY VAL MALONEY PC.ca/blacklabel when the products hit stores. Toronto-based Teehan+Lax has been “It will literally jump out at you,” says David Primorac, tinkering with augmented reality in its Labs senior director, public relations, Loblaw, of the in-store set – an independent unit within the agency up. “It’s something that will not be missed.” that explores creative uses of technology – and came up with Touch Vision Similar to its No Name predecessor that started without a Interface. The new and improved AR name and only later became trademarked, the PC gourmet methodology enables touch interaction line is technically nameless, identifi ed by the black label through a smartphone’s camera to and sophisticated packaging, says Primorac. connected surfaces in the device’s view. Jeremy Bell, partner, Teehan+Lax, says it allows users to interact with multiple There is no private label brand among Loblaw competitors surfaces without interruption. “We posed the question to our Labs of how AR could with a gourmet line, he adds, and since people tend to shop be improved, because it typically puts something between you and the object you are at specialty stores for their fi ne foods, the new collection will looking at,” he says. “Ultimately, only the person using AR on their phone can experience give customers the convenience of shopping for fi ne food what they are seeing and nobody else can. I don’t want [a] superfi cial experience where only I can see it, I want to be able to control the environment in front of me.” products as well as their daily groceries under one roof. Bell says the Teehan+Lax team has not seen technology like the Touch Vision With prices ranging from $1.99 to $24.99, Loblaw is Interface before, and now are looking for ways to deploy it. “The fi rst thing we thought attempting to appeal to customers with a taste for fi ne of was to use the technology with large digital screens like Yonge-Dundas Square,” he foods who don’t want to pay specialty store prices. says. “If done correctly, brands could have multiple people interacting with the screen at the same time. It could also be used at the movies during the ads. We are looking for additional ideas though, because we see this as a blank canvas right now.”

8 www.strategyonline.ca

Upfront.Oct11.indd 8 22/09/11 6:11 PM TAXI MAKES A MAGAZINE BY JONATHAN PAUL THE VERDICT: Taxi has entered the publishing game, complementing its rebrand of Canada’s Walk of Fame with a new version of the organization’s SKITTLES awards annual, giving it a magazine-style makeover. It’s the fi rst time the Walk of Fame has ever worked with an AOR. SCORES WITH The magazine, Taxi’s fi rst, is making its debut at the Oct. 1 Walk of Fame gala where eight 2011 inductees will receive their tribute, TREE BOY including Ryan Reynolds, Roberta Bondar, Daniel Nestor and the Skittles isn’t exactly a stranger to late Mordecai Richler. Dave Watson, CD, design, Taxi, says that quirkiness. The Wrigley Canada brand is in addition to profi ling the inductees, the magazine is also about known for its out-there – and sometimes celebrating the achievements of Canadians globally. Cannes Lions award-winning – “Canadians feel that if campaigns. A recent promotion knocked Ryan Reynolds does well in it out of the park, clocking in as the company’s most successful candy promo. the States, as a country we Wrigley wanted to boost sales by building on its Tree Boy commercial (created by U.S.- all do well,” says Watson. based TBWA\Chiat\Day with media by MediaCom) featuring a boy who harvests Skittles The gala marks the from a tree growing from his stomach, who dreams of going to university. The goal, says formal unveiling of the Dan Alvo, marketing director, Wrigley Canada, was to create a 360-degree campaign organization’s new encompassing in-store, PR and digital. Taxi-developed branding, Toronto-based Hunter Straker was enlisted, creating a mock “Free Tree Boy” movement. At including a new logo its core is a “Buy Skittles, Get the Freedom Band” call to action, in-store POP, wild postings wherein a star is formed and a modifi ed package design to accommodate one of six collectible “Freedom Bands” that amidst swirling maple the fi rm designed. People could order the bands for free and vote for the university Tree Boy leaves. The new look was should attend at Freetreeboy.ca, a mobile site created by Transcontinental. A national PR launched back in February. program by Fleishman-Hillard included a mobile component plus a Toronto Eaton Centre “[Canada’s Walk of Fame] event with chalk artist Julian Beever. The campaign ran nationally from May to August. was at a crossroads to the point where they were even thinking Free Tree Boy exceeded sales expectations with double-digit growth compared to a about changing their name because it has the smacking of a knock- Skittles promo the previous year and consumers gobbled up all 400,000 bands. The off of the American counterpart,” says Watson. “We found that they fi ght-the-power “Free Tree Boy” visual helped draw people to the display, while the call to have so much equity in the name and that it was probably best to action drove the fi nal sale, says Matthew Diamond, partner and managing director, Hunter change perceptions with the visual identity and communications.” Straker. “For the end consumer, this was a very simple program, with instant gratifi cation [and] an incentive to drive multiple purchases given the six varieties of Freedom Bands.” KG “It will literally jump out at you”

VOLKSWAGEN AUGMENTS OOH REALITY A uniquely Canadian spin on a global Volkswagen creative platform rolled out this month via an augmented reality billboard takeover in Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square. To help promote the launch of the 2012 Beetle in Canada, digital animation enabled Beetles to come to life on billboards and interact with passersby, providing them with different views of the vehicle. One, for example, turns a billboard into a tunnel with a Beetle driving out of it towards the viewer. The billboards drive to VWjuicedup.ca where visitors can download a mobile app that will activate the experience, “juicing up” the ads by viewing them through their phone cameras. Incorporating headlines from the global campaign, the billboards have been adapted by Red Urban in Toronto and include, of course, a glyph to activate the AR experience. “We were looking for something that was a little more innovative and a bit more engaging,” says Nicole Milette, account director, Red Urban. “The push is all about the car’s performance, its new look and innovations.” AR transit ads in both Toronto and Vancouver are also part of the mix, driving consumers to the microsite. JP

STRATEGY October 2011 9

Upfront.Oct11.indd 9 22/09/11 6:12 PM BRANDS OF THE YEAR Each year, the strategy team canvasses the industry and gathers a list of brands we feel are potentially deserving of the Brand of the Year title. Then we pit them against each other in a knockout fi ght to the fi nish, get experts to weigh in, and at the end only the strongest are left standing. The Brands of the Year need to have demonstrated brute marketing strength this calendar year, but also show more long-term growth as fi ghters, by that we mean top competitors, in their categories. Sometimes they’re in a category unto themselves, like Ikea, or are proven heavyweights like Cadbury and our overall winner RBC. Maybe they’ve impressed by stepping into a whole new arena like Joe Fresh. Or perhaps they’ve fought an impressive battle against a bigger adversary in their region, like Vidéotron. Of course, everyone loves a homegrown hero, especially one that has remained true to who they are, and effectively leveraged their personal brand, like the reason for all these fi ghting analogies – the UFC’s Georges St-Pierre. Read on to fi nd out why these brands knocked the competition out this year...

10 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

BOTY.Oct11.indd 10 22/09/11 1:44 PM TM

Congratulations

TM Trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. BRANDS OF THE YEAR

Banking on RBC BY MELINDA MATTOS

An animated advisor named Arbie and some carefully targeted corporate philanthropy have given the brand a more recognizable – and more human – face

and among the 20 largest banks globally, with offi ces in over 55 countries. According to Ipsos Reid, it leads in brand awareness (both aided and unaided) for all FIs in Canada. And in a brand value study released by London-based Brand Finance last month, RBC retained its position as Canada’s top brand, valued at $7.55 billion. While retail banking is a major focus here at home, RBC has recently been selling off branches in the unstable U.S. market and focusing its American business on high net worth corporate fi nance. With How do you freshen up With the help of creative OOH, print and in-branch. the company divided into a 143-year-old fi nancial agency BBDO, RBC And it appears he’s having fi ve business segments – brand and make it stand developed Arbie, an affable quite the effect on people. Canadian banking, wealth out from the competition? chap in a navy blue suit, “We now have 92% management, international For RBC, the solution was who was fi rst unveiled brand link with Arbie,” Little banking, capital markets an animated fi nancial during the 2008 Beijing says. “That’s up from 25% and insurance – it’s advisor in a bowler hat. Olympics in a series of or 30% in a good period been critical to develop Research conducted by vignettes that showed him over the last decade.” programs that can work in RBC in 2007 had shown diving, rowing and sprinting. “Our goal has been to a variety of markets. that the brand needed “He was at that stage a position RBC as the modern When it comes to the more warmth, more pretty minor component way for all Canadians to corporate brand, as accessibility and more of our advertising, meant get advice they can bank communicated through advice-based propositions. strictly as an iconic on,” adds Peter Ignazi, SVP event sponsorships and It also revealed a problem memory button,” Little and ECD, BBDO Toronto, philanthropic projects, with brand link. says, admitting that at alluding to the “Advice Little says there’s been an “People would see our fi rst customers weren’t you can bank on” tagline intentional focus on baby RBC has been reaching out to a advertisements and not be sure what to make of the launched in 2010. boomers and what he calls boomer target through hockey able to relate them back character. “His role has “Through Arbie we’ve the boomer proxy. programs, TIFF sponsorship and to a company,” explains grown as people’s appetite tried to make the bank’s “[Outside of Canada], $50-million philanthropic program Jim Little, chief brand and for him has [increased].” image more accessible we’re really interested communications offi cer, Nowadays, Arbie stars and consistent across all in educated, affl uent the Blue Water Project. who joined RBC in 2007. “We in all of RBC’s product touchpoints,” he says. opinion leaders who’ve needed an icon that would ads, from credit cards to RBC is currently Canada’s got complicated fi nancial raise our brand link but also mortgages, taking the largest bank by assets needs,” he says. “In inject some empathy.” spotlight via TV, digital, and market capitalization, Canada, we’re a universal

12 www.strategyonline.ca

BOTY.Oct11.indd 12 22/09/11 1:46 PM OVERALL WINNER

is the RBC Blue Water the story, we all agreed Project. Launched in 2007, that RBC was going to be it’s a 10-year, $50-million the host, but that the grant commitment to global, recipients were ultimately regional and community the ones who would drive initiatives that protect fresh the conversation. The water as a natural resource. ‘let’s do good then spend “Water is a very serious a bunch of money telling emerging issue – it will people about the good we be what divides us in the did’ model is outdated and next 50 years,” Little says. consumers see through it.” “Since we’re everywhere Videos housed on a Blue Brand fl ashback in the world, it’s something Water microsite allow you don’t have to interpret. organizations to tell their Long before Arbie – and before the You can just say ‘we’re in stories and educate the Royal Bank of Canada shortened its the access to clean water public. Blue Water has moniker to RBC – there was Mary, business’ and then local also supported a number an accessible “girl next door” who folks take it and run with it.” of events that are raising implored consumers to try her bank The program kicked off awareness about water in ads from 1968 to 1976. RBC took bank with everyone as our That’s why we support with a $10-million donation issues. In 2010, RBC a trip down memory lane with us, target, but the boomer emerging fi lmmakers.” to Cirque du Soleil founder teamed up with Jacques revealing the slogans that got the represents a complicated RBC has also become a Guy Laliberté’s One Cousteau’s granddaughter, brand to where it is today. wealth-transfer challenge major sponsor of several Drop Foundation, which Alexandra Cousteau, to that everyone is chasing – Independent Filmmaker works with Oxfam on sponsor Expedition Blue it’s where the money is.” Project programs in international conservation Planet: North America, a 1931 You will like RBC’s boomer focus New York, promoted via and awareness projects, fi ve-month expedition with banking at the Royal has inspired the brand to Vanity Fair inserts, with a followed by the public stops across the U.S. align itself with interests similar U.K. sponsorship launch of its grants and Canada. 1950 You can bank on the Royal ranging from golf and launching soon. program. Since 2007, RBC In March of this year, environmental issues to In the sports arena, has committed more than RBC was the presenting 1957 There’s nothing quite like wine and the arts. the brand has invested $28 million in single- and sponsor of Water: The money in the bank Since 2008, RBC has heavily in golf, hockey multi-year grants to over Exhibition at Toronto’s shown Canadians its and the Olympics. 380 organizations. Royal Ontario Museum, 1960 See how pleasant banking dedication to culture with “Our golf program At the beginning of Blue which brought together can be at The Royal its sponsorship of TIFF. is really the fl agship Water, RBC focused on multimedia installations Last month, as cinephiles sponsorship for our educating employees about and hands-on exhibits 1961 The bank with 1,000 and starlets fi lled Toronto, Canadian, but also our the cause and establishing to demonstrate the front doors Arbie seemed to reside North American, brand a solid track record, rather importance and power of on every second transit building,” Little says. than making a lot of noise in water. The event was two 1969 We like to take care ad and billboard – eating “We’ve got tournaments, market. In 2009, Montreal years in the making. of you at the Royal Bank popcorn, climbing out we’ve got players, we’ve agency Cloudraker (which “We want to make the of a limo, waiting for got TV units and we’ve got handles the brand’s hockey commitment to water 1970 The helpful bank autographs – with ads local hosting.” program) was enlisted to long-lasting,” says Little, declaring the FI an “offi cial While RBC’s sponsorships take the project to the noting that the next step 1971 We’re approachable sponsor and fan of TIFF.” look very different on next level. will likely be the addition But Arbie wasn’t RBC’s the surface, Little says “We weren’t tasked with of third-party fundraising. 1979 When you succeed… only colourful character at the company’s approach telling people what RBC “We want to spread more we succeed TIFF this year. A series of remains consistent. planned on doing, we had money into more projects 30-second spots shown at “We get rights fees for countless grant recipient and have a greater impact.” 1980 Can do! gala screenings promoted something, we put TV or stories about what they had For a brand that was its sponsorship of the RBC advertising around that, already delivered on,” says perceived as lacking 2004 First for you Emerging Filmmakers and then we do client Christina Brown, creative warmth a few years ago, Competition (now in its hospitality at an event,” director, Cloudraker. “They RBC has made impressive 2008 Simplify your banking. third year), each featuring he says. “We actually like asked us, point blank, headway. From the launch Simplify your life a gent dubbed Uncle Marv, being a bit formulaic, not to reinvent the way CSR of the Blue Water Project who comes to the rescue that anyone would see campaigns are done. It was to the goofy charm of 2010 Advice you can bank on of a fl edgling fi lmmaker. that because we love the the single best client brief I Arbie, the bank has earned As the superimposed text creative to be exciting.” have ever gotten.” a tip of the bowler hat and explains, “Not everyone Of course, the jewel in She continues, “When its rightful place as our has an uncle in the biz. RBC’s philanthropic crown we discussed ways to tell overall Brand of the Year.

STRATEGY October 2011 13

BOTY.Oct11.indd 13 22/09/11 1:46 PM BRANDS OF THE YEAR

Joe keeps it fresh

In just fi ve years, the Loblaw clothing brand has morphed from the grocery aisle to a major stand-alone fashion label BY KELLY GADZALA

Clockwise from left: Joe Mimran; the first stand-alone Joe Fresh store in B.C.; the summer As if the idea of selling Hamptons pop-up shop; and the interior of the B.C. store. Opposite page: a Joe Fresh fashion sweaters amongst the lettuce wasn’t plucky show; Patti Hansen and daughters pose for the brand’s Rethink Breast Cancer t-shirt campaign. enough, Joe Fresh is holding its own against designer George Davies, credibility given the brand’s democratization of fashion other retail apparel Joe Fresh Style began in grocery store genesis – in has long been a theme giants like Zara, 2006 to differentiate its his being so closely allied of Mimran’s, and the fact H&M and even parent company, Loblaw, to the concept: “People that Joe Fresh resonated Walmart, showing from its competitors love to latch onto a with the brand’s target strong growth and is now in over 300 person responsible for a audience of moms and and aggressively stores. With his success brand,” Mimran says. “It’s newly working men and expanding its developing the Alfred Sung from a real place. It’s not women from the get-go, freestanding label and the Club Monaco manufactured.” and increasingly with the store retail fashion concept, the Though price is a key fashion set, speaks to its concept in latter of which was bought differentiator, it’s not power. Today, it holds sway Canada by Polo Ralph Lauren, Joe a deal breaker in the with these audiences, and, this Mimran was the natural highly competitive world becoming so synonymous month, the U.S. choice to lead the brand. of fashion retail, where with being fashionable Modelled on a popular As CD, apparel, home and fashion seekers scurry that the “style” part of the U.K. grocery concept entertainment, Loblaw, from H&M to Holts in a brand’s name was dropped Asda (now a subsidiary of Mimran oversees all Joe heartbeat. What makes last year. Walmart), which created a Fresh designs, and as he the brand work, and excel, Though Joe Fresh highly successful clothing puts it, there was a big is that conscious attempt was a success from the line called George after advantage – and a bit more to make it accessible. The start, there were obvious

14 www.strategyonline.ca

BOTY.Oct11.indd 14 22/09/11 1:46 PM challenges with selling sourced by the brand’s the ground fl oor as the clothing in the grocery former AOR Bensimon anchor, the store will be in aisle. “We quickly realized Byrne. “A fashion brand the thick of competition we couldn’t merchandise needs to be tied to music,” with H&M and Zara like a grocery store,” Hutchison says. “We nearby, as well as a new says Craig Hutchison, wanted to have our own Winners a few stores SVP marketing and PR, sound and style.” over. It was a deliberate Joe Fresh, home and “To think of our move. “We’re going in entertainment, Loblaw. commercials and our where the competition Once consumer response imaging as a food-store is the strongest and justifi ed the spend, they originated brand, it’s really proving ourselves,” says incorporated the store- remarkable that we could Hutchison. within-a-store concept take it and elevate it to That same scrappiness to include separate cash that extent,” says Mimran. applies to the U.S. desks, change rooms After cutting ties with expansion, which kicked off and lighting. Bensimon this spring, this summer with a pop-up Cementing Joe Fresh the brand created its own shop in the Hamptons and as a major fashion brand in-house creative team, will culminate this month has come about largely something Hutchison with the opening of a Fifth as a result of extensive says has allowed it to be Avenue store and more PR efforts. How many more focused in a NYC and U.S. locations this Canadian brands can details-driven industry. year. A fl agship is also set boast that Flare editor- The team relaunched to open on Fifth Avenue in in-chief Lisa Tant sported Joefresh.com as a fully the spring of 2012. a Joe Fresh outfi t on a interactive website in A gutsy move in recent TV appearance? late August and went questionable economic The very one that brazenly in a slightly different times – and entirely in started staging shows direction with its “Classic keeping with Joe Fresh’s at Toronto Fashion Week Comeback” fall campaign perpetual zip – the a mere year into its featuring slow-mo moving growth into the States is existence, something portraits to David Bowie’s necessary, Mimran says. Mimran says opening “Oh! You Pretty Things.” “Momentum is everything. price point brands weren’t With the stand-alone You’ve just got to keep doing at the time. Flip concept – freestanding moving forward.” through any Canadian stores not connected to Taking on new challenges fashion magazine this Loblaw grocery banners to express the brand is fall and you’ll likely fi nd – showing incremental critical, he says, especially multiple mentions of growth to the Loblaw biz, since the successful Joe Fresh Beauty and the idea that started in brands today tend to be fashion. “We’ve had over 2010 with the opening of international. a billion PR hits in our the downtown Vancouver Adapting to a different fi ve-year existence,” store has exploded in the market may not be easy, says Hutchison. last year with a string of but Hutchison says the True to the fresh ethic, similar openings across U.S. media has responded new product arrives at the Canada, and more to well to previews in spite stores every four weeks, come. Targeting a younger of zero brand awareness. meaning PR efforts are fashionista market, the But it’s not just dropping ongoing and, one would goal is to put new store a store in and hoping it imagine, equally fresh for concepts in high-fashion works, says Mimran. “It is editors. To handle the load, locations, says Hutchison. about becoming part of the PR team expanded The much-anticipated the fi bre of that city and early this year, recruiting Queen Street West store the energy of that city… from MAC Cosmetics and that launched this month [and] creating a real spirit. Holt Renfrew. in downtown Toronto is a It’s not just a business,” A consistent marketing variation on the theme, he says. “It’s not just a style from day one has but no less ambitious. machine. And it’s so hard further cemented the A multi-level concept to do.” brand’s appeal. Joe Fresh with a Loblaws on the He adds, “Fashion is a TV spots are known for second level, and for the brutal industry. It’s fast their original music, fi rst time, Joe Fresh on and constant.”

STRATEGY October 2011 15

BOTY.Oct11.indd 15 22/09/11 1:46 PM “I often thought, if I were leading a company why wouldn’t I invest in helping people improve the water in and around their communities? It is our most important resource and probably the single best way to improve the health and prosperity of a place. It seemed no one was really stepping up to lead the way. Then I got a call from RBC.”

ALEXANDRA COUSTEAU Explorer and filmmaker, President of Blue Legacy

Congratulations to RBC for being recognized by communities near and far as one of the top brands in Canada. BRANDS OF THE YEAR Cadbury’s success Canada’s real-life Willy Wonka is still managing to keep its is no secret marketing fresh despite its 100-year history

BY JONATHAN PAUL

the U.K. in 1905, has a secret, Cadbury’s become Cadbury Creme Egg penchant for creative, more brazen in teasing Cad-apult effort that fresh-faced activations Canadians. Most recently, saw the brand “release that remain faithful to long- with a tip of the hat to the goo online” through standing brand lore (like fictional candy aficionado Google Maps. Users could the Caramilk Secret). Its Willy Wonka, it’s been enter a friend’s address consistently quirky take on hiding golden keys in and have a Creme Egg confectionery marketing, Caramilk bars scattered virtually “cad-apulted” at combined with a recent across Canada. Over it, digitally gooing their focus on groundbreaking, two years, the program, target via an aerial street wide-reaching CSR developed by The Hive in view. Developed by Taxi 2, initiatives, has helped Toronto with online and the effort tallied 165,000 Locked within a vault drive Cadbury’s success social handled by Rocket egg flings, 157 blog posts, somewhere in the Cadbury over the last few years, XL, has seen chocolateers 1,337 Facebook likes, and Chocolate factory in especially during a period lucky enough to find one 392,403 visits to the site. Toronto is the truth behind of recession, earning it of the keys trek to the Digital has been an area one of Canada’s greatest a position as one of our Cadbury Chocolate factory of focus for Cadbury and During “Keys to the Secret,” secrets: how they get that Brands of the Year. to try opening the vault. a significant strategic billboards were updated in soft flowing caramel into Cadbury was acquired If the vault unlocked, component for all of real-time as consumers found the Caramilk bar. by Kraft Foods in a winners were presented its brands. Mackenzie the coveted golden keys, The uniquely Canadian blockbuster buyout in with a cheque for $125,000 Davison, director of winning cash prizes and a Caramilk Secret is one 2010 and its success is as well as an envelope chocolate and candy of the more famous part and parcel of Kraft’s containing the Caramilk marketing, Kraft Canada, chance to guard the secret. marketing ploys ever recent decision to overhaul Secret. If they returned the is proud of the progress initiated by a confectionery its operating platform, envelope unopened after that the brand has brand, captivating Canuck splitting itself into two six months, and that’s been made through assets the case so far, they were like Facebook. It was the presented with another central hub of a third $125,000. The effort this activation, launched in past year was supported August, for Cadbury’s Mr. by TV spots showing real- Big brand that featured time accounts of people NHL superstar Alexander unwrapping a Caramilk bar Ovechkin. Developed hoping to find a key, OOH by Rocket XL, the “Mr. ads that were updated, Big Deal” promo offers also in real-time, as the Canadians the chance to imaginations for close to companies: a high-growth keys were discovered, POS win $2,500 and airfare 50 years. In that time it’s global snacks business and online on Caramilk’s to Washington in order to helped propel Caramilk with an estimated revenue Facebook page. hang out with Ovechkin, to Canada’s top-selling of approximately $31.4 Cadbury attributes a simply by submitting a Mr. chocolate bar. Cadbury billion ($32 billion US) Caramilk brand equity Big UPC on Facebook. itself is Canada’s most and a high-margin North gain of 12 points in 2010 “Bluntly put, it’s pretty successful confectionery American grocery business to the “Key to the Secret” easy to buy yourself a brand in an almost $2 billion with estimated revenue of program, and it’s just one presence on Facebook industry that grew by 4% approximately $15.7 billion of a number of recent these days,” says Davison. last year. ($16 billion US). successful activations “It’s a lot harder to engage Cadbury, which sold When it comes to its across its range of in a relevant discussion.” its first chocolate bar in most closely guarded products. Another is the “It all starts with brand

STRATEGY October 2011 17

BOTY.Oct11.indd 17 22/09/11 1:51 PM BRANDS OF THE YEAR

building and every idea and activation on people across the globe, or in this show the impact the bikes have had Complementing the Cocoa has to be built off of the brands case, Africa. on those that received them. It was Partnership is the Cadbury Dairy themselves,” she says. “Our focus on The goal was to create 5,000 supported with print ads featuring Milk fair-trade certification that was activations has had a really positive specially designed bikes and deliver portraits of kids able to get an launched two years ago, ensuring impact on our business. When we talk them to Ghana, where Cadbury has education because of their bikes and that cocoa farmers are paid a fair and TV ads that encouraged education. guaranteed price for their crops. In its third year, the program has “We are quite proud of the sent upwards of 13,000 bikes to commitment because we are the Africa, effectively driving equity for the largest mainstream manufacturer Cadbury brand (and Kraft by proxy) of fair-trade chocolate in Canada,” linked to what it feels it stands for as a says Davison. “We have really company. Certainly, the bike factory is revolutionized the face of fair-trade about the impact of Caramilk ‘Key sourced cocoa for over a century. the crown jewel but not the only piece chocolate in Canada.” to the Secret,’ or Mr. Big, I absolutely Developed in collaboration with in the Cadbury CSR crown. Four years And it’s with its most iconic brand, believe they’ve had an impact on The Hive, the program is centred ago Cadbury established the Cadbury Dairy Milk (at least from a global strengthening and building the on Thebicyclefactory.ca, a place Cocoa Partnership in collaboration perspective), that Cadbury will be Cadbury brand in Canada.” where people can turn Cadbury with the United Nations Development looking to the future. Davison says What’s been most meaningful to its products into bike parts. One UPC Program, local governments, farmers, Cadbury has some exciting things portfolio, says Davison, has been the produces one bike part, with 100 communities and international NGOs. involving Dairy Milk set for 2012, but Cadbury Bicycle Factory, a Canadian- parts creating a whole bike. Last year It’s an overarching global commitment it won’t be the only brand to step specific initiative. The idea behind Cadbury created a documentary, to invest close to $100 million to into the spotlight. “From a branded it is that small purchases made in shot by Frantic Films and directed ensure sustainable cocoa farming in portfolio perspective, next year there Canada, like a chocolate bar, can by Alexandre Trudeau and Booker Ghana, India, South East Asia and are a few that we’re going to increase have a meaningful sustained impact Sim, entitled Wheels of Change to the Caribbean. our focus on.”

From your friend and partner.

BOTY.Oct11.indd 18 22/09/11 1:53 PM Why we heart Ikea The home furnishing brand has proven itself to be much more than a category – it’s a cultural movement BY KELLY GADZALA

Who wouldn’t salivate at the idea has just 11 stores nationally, but that And given the brand’s of a Saturday afternoon shopping doesn’t mean it isn’t a major home commitment to the environment, trip to Ikea – not to mention those furnishing player. In the last year, the it’s no surprise that new stores yummy Swedish meatballs they brand has gained momentum, with will incorporate high-effi ciency sell? Can a person actually not results showing it’s resonating now heating and cooling systems, smile at the memory of those more than ever. water conservation plumbing “unboring” commercials from a “Ikea has wind in its sails,” says fi xtures and skylights. At the end few years back, or the now iconic Hilary Lloyd, Ikea Canada’s deputy of 2010, it invested $4.6 million “Start the Car” TV spot with the marketing manager. “In the last to install 3,790 solar panels on woman running to her car thinking year we’ve experienced signifi cant three Toronto-area stores that will she’d stolen something from the anniversaries in multiple markets, generate about 960,000 kWh per store (a Canadian effort that was made continued announcements year of renewable energy. Solar adapted by 12-plus countries)? about expansions and investments panels are also being considered of the brand’s other marketing And how about the radio voice of that demonstrate the brand’s for store expansions. efforts. ExhibitIkea saw it Ikea’s corporate social partnering with four top Canadian responsibility has blossomed this artists to create installations using past year. In April, Ikea Canada was Ikea products in a downtown recognized as one of Canada’s Toronto space in August. The Greenest Employers by Mediacorp installation garnered 22,530,669 for the third year in a row. One media impressions, with 400 month later it celebrated its 15-year members of the media, designers partnership with Tree Canada, an and stylists attending the opening organization that has helped it plant and 4,000 people through the door more than 16,000 trees. during the public days of the event. But at the heart of Ikea is an The August catalogue launch, accessibility that sets it apart from “Inspiration on Every Page,” with other furniture retailers. “The brand creative by Leo Burnett and should always be lighthearted, media by Jungle Media, engaged Above: OOH tag executions reminded people that any space could use a little honest and far from dull,” says Lloyd. consumers with tag executions inspiration from the Ikea 2012 catalogue. Top right: Canadian designer David “Our communication aims to have in subway stations and outdoor Dixon used Ikea fabric to create dresses for ExhibitIkea in Toronto. what we call our ‘twinkle in the eye.’” spaces, with messaging that Take the “Long Live the Home” every space could be improved Ikea over Canadian airwaves, an values as a good corporate citizen, platform released in August, the with inspiration from the 2012 actual Swedish guy from L.A.? and shown continued sales that fi rst campaign by new creative Ikea catalogue. In Toronto, Metro People can’t even see him but he’s outpace the category.” AOR Leo Burnett, which launched newspapers, with books of sticky a beloved hallmark of the brand. Lloyd says Ikea’s expansion with a 60-second commercial tags attached to them so people Let’s face it: Ikea is part of our approach has been conservative followed by a series of 30-second could easily tag catalogue pages, collective cultural unconscious, compared to its competitors, spots that capture emotional were passed out at Union Station and it’s here to stay. but this year it’s ramping up with moments, like a new baby, that along with the catalogues. The Founded in 1943 in Sweden, nationwide growth including a make home so important. launch was so successful that visits Ikea has always aimed to offer a rebuild of its 34-year-old Richmond, The tone is more serious than to Ikea.ca in August hit more than variety of well-designed products B.C., store and a store in the works past campaigns, says Judy John, 4.2 million, far exceeding stated at affordable prices, though that for Winnipeg, a new market. The CEO and CCO, Leo Burnett, and goals. Canada also had the highest goal has been refi ned over time rebuilt Ottawa store is set to open though humour is still important level of Ikea app downloads out of all to emphasize style, quality and this fall and will be Ikea’s largest to the brand, the response to the the countries in which Ikea operates. “owning the entire home.” The home Canadian retail operation at serious spots has been positive, “People identify with the brand,” furnishings retailer has 280 stores 398,000 square feet with 50 room with people commenting on how says Lloyd. “They just love to laugh in 26 countries, which are visited settings, a new children’s play area, they made them cry. “It really and be entertained – Ikea gets that by over 626 million people every a 640-seat restaurant and over touched that emotion,” says John. and wants to be a part of people’s year. In its 35th year, Ikea Canada 1,200 parking spaces. Connection is an important part everyday lives.”

www.strategyonline.ca STRATEGY October 2011 19

BOTY.Oct11.indd 19 22/09/11 1:53 PM BRANDS OF THE YEAR GSP: UFC’s Midas brand Georges St-Pierre has quickly his chokehold on fi ght fandom, and Georges St-Pierre has parlayed mixed martial arts become one of Canada’s most pre- has over two million Facebook fans. eminent athletes. He’s been named Being something of a fi ghting phenom fame into wider pop culture celeb brand status Canadian athlete of the year by helps. He currently holds the UFC Rogers Sportsnet three years running, welterweight championship, has BY JONATHAN PAUL knocking the likes of hockey superstar successfully defended that title seven Sidney Crosby off the podium. In this times, won nine fi ghts in a row and is nature of MMA. They put GSP front authenticity that really resonates country, that’s saying something, on a fi ve-year winning streak. and centre to promote the G-Series of with people. “I’ve known Georges for especially considering the polarizing “There’s always a spike in our sports drinks. many years and authenticity is the nature of mixed martial arts’ violence. pay-per-view numbers, our broadcast “Our goal is to fi nd the athletes key,” says Rodolphe Beaulieu, partner, GSP’s management team, LB3i numbers when Georges is fi ghting,” who represent Canada’s best on a LB3i Sports. “He hasn’t changed a bit global stage,” says Greg Lyons, VP from what he was and 10 years from of marketing, PepsiCo Beverages now he will still be the same guy. For a Canada. “Georges St-Pierre embodies brand to live you need consistency.” the spirit of athleticism for Canada, And as for GSP himself, you likely from his gruelling training regimen to won’t be surprised by what he has to his championship fi ghts.” say about the brand he’s built. Most recently, GSP signed on “What characterizes my brand [is as a co-founder of Mission Skincare, that] I’m faithful to myself,” he says. “I a line designed and tested by elite don’t try to hide anything. I know I’m athletes for people who live an not a perfect human being, but I have active lifestyle. a thing that I do well, I let the public As for how GSP is received outside see it and it’s no problem. I am like I North America, Wright recounts a am. What you see is what you get.” story of an appearance GSP made Signing GSP made Gatorade one of the first big brands to endorse an MMA athlete. in the Philippines. Although UFC has never held an event there, Wright says Sports in Montreal, is currently says Tom Wright, director of about 100,000 people showed up. working with Sid Lee to make sure operations, UFC Canada. He cites a For the UFC, he is the fi ghter that they fully understand St-Pierre’s 50% to 70% increase in PPV results best embodies the values that are brand and can maximize its value. on the eve of a GSP-headlined contest. a part of the league’s brand DNA: Sid Lee has conducted a fi ve-step That’s why at UFC 129 at the Rogers authenticity, discipline, high-energy, brand equity audit resulting in the Centre in Toronto in April, GSP was accessibility and relevance. creation of new guidelines, a new the focal point of all promotions, “Both Georges’ brand and look and an online strategy that which were developed for the event by our own have been growing at GSP’s team will be rolling out in 2012, Toronto-based Bensimon Byrne. remarkable rates over the last many as well as a social media strategy it’s People also pay to sport brand GSP. years and it’s a refl ection of those already put into effect. Through GSPfi ghtclub.com, fans can core values,” says Wright. “Our two “I cannot share the results, but we purchase apparel, posters, calendars, brands are lockstep together, so we’re were in shock,” says Martin Gauthier, gift cards and accessories. His visage very mindful of that and we work very senior partner, VP interactive also appears on shirts crafted by closely with his team.” marketing, Sid Lee. “He compared Affl iction, which produces a new GSP- For team GSP, very well with other fi ghters, but branded shirt for his walk out to the it’s his we were surprised with how well he octagon for every UFC event. compared with pop culture stars and His Midas touch has also endeared other athletes. The brand is good and him to consumer brands that have we can bring it to great. ” made the groundbreaking move GSP’s growing notoriety is of signing him as their fi rst inextricably linked to the intensifying MMA/UFC fi ghter. PepsiCo’s popularity of the UFC in Canada, Gatorade began endorsing but GSP isn’t like the other fi ghters. GSP in 2009, albeit with People genuinely love the guy. Since some initial trepidation his UFC debut in 2004 he’s tightened based on the violent

20 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

BOTY.Oct11.indd 20 22/09/11 1:53 PM GSP UFC MMA CUE ROI

Cue is a uniquely positioned Digital Entertainment Company that exclusively represents Established, High Profile Online Entertainment Properties reaching over 8 Million Unique Visitors equaling 30% of the Canadian Online Population. This gives Canadian advertisers un-paralleled access to top International online properties and allows for fully customized and integrated campaigns not usually available in Canada. Cue is the Leader in Branded Entertainment. Cue develops, licenses, produces and syndicates original Award-Winning Digital Branded Entertainment content for advertisers.

Select established, premium online entertainment properties in Canada, each with audiences between 500,000 and 3 million unique Canadian viewers.

Cue Digital Media 250 The Esplanade, Berkeley Castle, Courtyard, Suite 127 Toronto, Ontario M5A 1J2 (416) 454-6699 www.cuedigitalmedia.com [email protected] BRANDS OF THE YEAR Vidéotron’s infi nite power From small cable company to 360-degree telecommunications powerhouse, Vidéotron has become a force to be reckoned with in Quebec BY EMILY WEXLER

and Vidéotron has seen a partner at Sid Lee. were making in the ads a 75% increase in revenue- When Vidéotron launched few months prior, we were generating units, with its mobile offering, it did testing it. It takes balls.” more than 210,000 mobile so under this new identity Another ballsy move by customers so far, adding with a media blitz that Vidéotron was investing in a more than 3,500 per week. encompassed every major Montreal fl agship store that It’s no small feat, but outlet – from TV and print looks like a technological Vidéotron has been to online and social media. utopia. Designed by Sid working towards this goal In September 2010, Lee Architecture with Régis for a while now. Its 2009 media teased with the Côté & Associates (with If you live in Quebec, no rebranding brought all of its tagline “The end of time brand identity and design doubt you’re familiar with services under one identity is near” (or “La fi n du by Sid Lee) and tech and the Vidéotron brand, and and platform – “The Infi nite temps est proche”) and installation by Solotech, the you’re probably a customer. Power.” Previously, it used included TV spots with a store opened last fall and The telecommunications the line “The power of presidential-type speaking boasts a fi rst-of-its-kind company, which has cable” in communications, about the end of time. LED-animated staircase, been around since 1964 but wanted to bring all of its Later, its “Talk until infi nity” soundproof booths with when it launched a cable services (including cable, plan was revealed, offering giant HD screens and broadcast network internet and mobile) under consumers unlimited plans. interactive touch-screen with 66 subscribers in one umbrella, according What is perhaps more countertops. Montreal-North and Laval, to Claude Foisy, VP brand impressive than its growth “It’s really a [stake] in boasts 1.8 million cable TV management, Vidéotron. record is the fact that the ground in terms of subscribers and 1.27 million “The discussion we the company, which was technology and giving internet subscribers, and had with the agency acquired by Quebecor in access to people on has experienced seven was to move from an 2000, has a 97% customer the street,” says Foisy, consecutive years of advertising platform to a satisfaction rate (99% for noting that aspects of the Top: the campaign growth. Its rebranding in communication platform,” subscribers with three or fl agship that can work on introducing Vidéotron’s 2009 with its agency Sid he says. “Prior to that, each more products). a smaller scale are being 3G mobile network teased Lee, as well as the creation service has its own way of To illustrate this focus on incorporated into other the end of time. of a cutting-edge fl agship talking to the consumer, it customer satisfaction, its retail locations. was very product-driven.” recent summer campaign As Vidéotron continues Above: the high-tech store in Montreal, has given the company the ammo it Characterized by bold enlisted funnymen Sugar to expand (it launched in flagship store in Montreal. needed to enter the mobile black and yellow visuals, as Sammy for the English the Ottawa-Gatineau region sphere, with major success. well as the image of a cube television spots and André- in the spring), Lacoursière Going head-to-head with and a changeable tagline Philippe Gagnon for the says when it comes to why a big competitor is never that starts with “The power French. They made prank it deserves a Brand of the easy, and when your main to…”, the idea was to “give calls to client services at Year title, “It’s being true competition is a behemoth the power to the customer.” Vidéotron, to see how the to what they are and what like Bell Canada, you’d “The trick is to make sure employees would react. their strengths are, and better bring your A-game. you have a toolbox that It was an example of making sure that when they One year ago, Vidéotron works for every mandate Vidéotron “walking the came out with the newly became the fi rst major or category but is wide talk” when it comes to its revised branding, they were Canadian cable company enough to keep [an element services, and its willingness internally ready to deliver to launch its own cellphone of] surprise and people’s to go outside its comfort the promise. It’s not [just] network in 25 years. attention,” says Francois zone, explains Lacoursière. a campaign, it’s good, true Fast-forward 12 months Lacoursière, EVP, senior “All the promises that we brand management.”

22 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

BOTY.Oct11.indd 22 22/09/11 1:53 PM A CHAMPION IN AND OUT OF THE OCTAGON.

Georges St-Pierre UFC Welterweight Champion ©2011 Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved. LLC. Zuffa, ©2011

Congratulations Georges on being named Strategy Magazine Brand of the Year. For more info on the UFC please contact us at [email protected] 69$/.$ &KDPSDJQHJODVVFOHDUJODVV SDFN

We’re for celebrating Brand of the Year. Congratulations IKEA, on a well-deserved nomination.

ST.20120.LeoBurnett.ad.indd 1 23/09/11 3:08 PM WHY IS THIS MAN SO LIKED?

2011 AToMiC WINNERS defy convention & lead change in Canada’s mediascape

AToMiC Awards 2011

Atomic.Oct11.indd A1 22/09/11 6:16 PM October 4, 2011.

To our friends at this evening’s AToMiC Awards gala,

For the third year, The Globe and Mail is extremely proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of the AToMiC Conference, and thrilled to now include the prestigious AToMiC Awards as part of our ongoing sponsorship. The AToMiC Awards celebrate and recognize advertising projects that challenge the status quo and celebrate groundbreaking partnerships between advertisers, media and content creators.

All of you who entered your successful case studies in this year’s AToMiC competition deserve a warm round of applause. For the select few who are honoured tonight with an AToMiC Award, you are an example worth noting, and have provided your industry peers with important success stories that push conventional boundaries to the benefit of our industry as a whole.

As the advertising industry continues to evolve and redefine itself in this age of multi-platform media campaigns, we will all be watching the AToMiC winners circle closely. The results of your efforts and the measure of your successes will challenge each of us to raise the bar on future campaigns.

I hope everyone enjoys this evening’s festivities, and please join us in honouring tonight’s esteemed winners.

Andrew Saunders Vice President, Advertising Sales

444 Front Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2S9 415-585- 5000 globeandmail.com What’s AToMiC?

Each year at our AToMiC confab – which covers the intersection of advertising, media creativity, technology and content, there’s a lot of excitement over the projects and possibilities emerging from the global digital innovation space. We wanted to complement that this year by curating the best examples of new turf being broken in Canada’s mediascape. So we set out to find them.

As the business of branding continues to delve deeper into the realm of content and Executive Editor: Mary Maddever technology, strategy joined forces with Playback, our sister publication covering Canada’s Editor: Emily Wexler production industry, as well as Media in Canada, to help uncover the programs – from Copy Chief: Melinda Mattos ad campaigns to entertainment to games – that best used all the new tools and toys to Creative Director: Stephen Stanley forge deeper audience connections. Along the way we assembled a panel of advisors – leaders from all the key industries, Strategy from marketers and agency creatives to transmedia producers and media gurus – to 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1R9 help develop the AToMiC Awards, and a mandate emerged: showcase the ideas that are Tel: (416) 408-2300 or 1-888-BRUNICO different and that show the way forward. (1-888-278-6426) Fax: (416) 408-0870 AToMiC’s inaugural awards began with a call for entries for cases pertaining to 12 www.strategyonline.ca categories: AToMiC Collaboration, AToMiC Idea, AToMiC ROI, AToMiC CSR, Best Brand Copyright and trademark Integration, Best Broadcast Engagement, Best Digital Engagement, Best Experiential STRATEGY and the tagline “Bold vision brand new ideas” are trademarks of Engagement, Best Print Engagement, Best Tech Breakthrough, Best Transmedia and Best Brunico Communications Ltd. All rights Niche Targeting. reserved. Nothing may be reproduced The AToMiC jury, the same group that steered the development of AToMiC, assessed from STRATEGY in whole or in part without written permission. entries using criteria relevant to each category, including content integration, partner Reprint requests should be sent to collaboration, creativity and innovation, as well as results/impact. They assigned scores [email protected]. © 2011 Brunico Communications Ltd. out of 10, and based on cumulative scores, finalists were assessed for AToMiC Gold, Silver or Bronze status. Produced by: The jury also selected the Grand Prix, the program, site, app or commercial content entry from any category that was deemed to raise the bar by most effectively reaching and connecting with audiences in new ways. Hint: it involved wearing underwear and leveraging social media to genuinely help a cause and made your dad’s knickers relevant to a new generation of men who need support. Read on to see what else is AToMiC...

Cheers, mm Mary Maddever, exec editor, strategy, Media in Canada and stimulant

www.strategyonline.ca A3

Atomic.Oct11.indd A3 22/09/11 6:17 PM ATOMIC GRAND PRIX Stanfi eld’s guy at home in his underwear

Also won: Gold AToMiC Idea, Gold Best Digital Engagement, Gold AToMiC CSR

in the loft that streamed simultaneously. Facebook social plugins were tied to the “Guy At Home” website and Facebook page (one of the fi rst in Canada to tie a CSR component with a Facebook “like” and one of the fi rst Canadian sites to test the “chat” feature just as Facebook launched it). Tweets could be hashtagged with #guyathome while The Guy At Home had his own Twitter feed. And blogging software was integrated into the site so Mark could update folks on what was happening and have further dialogue with them. One-minute videos that recapped each day were hosted on the Guy At Home YouTube channel and pulled into the site. Direct donations could also be made through a branded donation page tied to the Credits* Stanfi eld’s, a 150-year-old, needed to give the target Canadian Cancer Society’s Client Stanfi eld’s family-owned underwear something they would talk back-end donation platform. Agency John St. company from small-town about that was rooted in The Guy at Home in his CDs Stephen Jurisic, Nova Scotia, was well known Stanfi eld’s “We Support Men” Underwear became the fastest Angus Tucker among the older generation, strategy. So rather than just growing branded Facebook ACD/Copywriter Chris Hirsch but when it came to younger saying “We Support Men,” they page in Canada with 52,000 ACD/AD Nellie Kim consumers they weren’t even decided to prove it for a cause new Facebook fans in just 25 Production company in the conversation. In fact, that is literally close to both days. The Globe and Mail called Secret Location/Hard Citizen Radian6 tracking showed zero Stanfi eld’s and the men who it “The best social media stunt mentions of the brand online. wear them: testicular cancer. the country has seen,” with over *For full credits to all cases The challenge was to get people “The Guy At Home In His $52,000 raised for the cause. please visit strategyonline.ca talking about Stanfi eld’s again. Underwear” was an unedited, Viewers tuned in for over The path to change was unscripted social media three million minutes of live not going to be traditional. experiment in support of streaming. That translates into With limited funds to invest testicular cancer awareness, over six years of viewing time. – $400,000 nationally – the where testicular cancer survivor The campaign concluded with solution had to stand out to get Mark McIntyre, a.k.a. “The Guy over 1.3 million page views attention and drive results. The At Home In His Underwear,” and over 43 million media target was digitally savvy, so if attempted to spend 25 straight impressions. John St. could come up with a days at home in nothing but bold enough digital idea it his Stanfi eld’s skivvies live, on could use social networks and camera, 24/7, for all to see at PR to earn a more signifi cant GuyAtHome.com. For each media presence. Facebook “like” he received, But it’s hard enough to get Stanfi eld’s donated $1 to The men to talk about underwear, Canadian Cancer Society. let alone Stanfi eld’s. They Four cameras were placed

A4 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A4 22/09/11 6:18 PM GOLD ATOMIC COLLABORATION The Tourette Syndrome Foundation’s random documentary

Also won: Bronze AToMiC Idea

could, in a way that mimics TS. The individual fi lms have the unpredictable nature of been selections at festivals like the disorder. The result was Hot Docs, TIFF and the Palm the @Random documentary Springs Shortfest, where one project, launched in April 2011. of the fi lms won Best Short They worked with Documentary. fi lmmakers and TS families This collaboration has been across Canada to create remarkably successful for the dozens of fi lms about real TSFC. In just six weeks, people with TS. Then, to evoke @Random attracted 17,000+ the disorder’s unpredictable viewers who immersed nature, these shorter fi lms themselves in TS via the were randomly arranged website and fi lms. The project Credits The Tourette Syndrome online to make up larger was featured on the CTV Client The Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada (TSFC) documentaries. Every time Evening News, generating Foundation of Canada needed to make Canadians someone visits Atrandom.ca, valuable PR and an estimated Agency Saatchi & Saatchi aware of what Tourette they see a new collection of earned media value of $45,000. Canada Syndrome (TS) really is. Many stories, making each viewing The site was featured on ECDs Helen Pak, Brian people think that it’s simply the totally different and unique, dozens of infl uential marketing Sheppard, Brett Channer “swearing disease,” but TS is just like TS. blogs from Creativity and AD Helen Pak many things: physical tics, vocal This project took two years Ads of the World, to the Copywriter Brian Sheppard outbursts, obsessive-compulsive and the collaboration of San Francisco Egotist and disorder and anxiety attacks, hundreds of people. The TSFC the Inspiration Room. Most sometimes all at once. connected with families living importantly, many people It is a remarkably diffi cult with TS across Canada to allow with TS thanked the team for and complex disorder to their stories to be told. portraying the disorder as it understand and explain. And Working with a tiny really is. that became the brief: explain honorarium of about $1,000 the unexplainable. each, two dozen fi lmmakers The TSFC decided to tell as inserted themselves into the many real TS stories as they lives of Canadians living with

BRONZE ATOMIC COLLABORATION Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s quick contest

slightly off-kilter travel giveaway they liked, and winners were giveaway” into an active, held entirely online. Working announced live every half hour. engaged online community. with Target, on June 22, NL The contest framework was During the contest, 1,400 Tourism paired with WestJet developed with Strutta, one audience posts were made on to launch one of the biggest of three Facebook-preferred NL Tourism’s wall, and its posts travel contests in the province’s vendors in Canada. The accumulated 1.3 million views. To generate awareness and history. In just 48 half hours, custom-built engagement The contest received 900,000 interest in the province, and entrants were given chances to console, developed with entries or 620 per minute. to celebrate its unique time win a free round-trip fl ight to Radian6, allowed Target to zone, NL Tourism developed NL – one every half hour. People monitor chatter, and evolved the 48 Half Hours Contest – a could enter as many times as the contest from “just another Credits Client Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism; Agency Target; CD Tom Murphy; Creative Group Head Jenny Smith; Copywriter Terri Roberts; AD Jeff McLean

AToMiC Awards 2011 A5

Atomic.Oct11.indd A5 22/09/11 6:18 PM GOLD ATOMIC IDEA James Ready brings fun to discount

Also won: Gold AToMiC ROI

calendars on Facebook, even trading doubles for their missing days. The agency then created the fi rst ever mobile pop-up billboard that went to places that JR drinkers frequent, and offered deals on things they need. JR’s Facebook page let people know the exact location of each billboard and details about the limited-time discounts. After a printing screw-up left millions of JR beer caps blank, fans asked “WTF?” To make amends, JR launched the Blank Cap Recall. Any drinker Credits James Ready competes in actively co-create with them. who received a blank cap Client James Ready Ontario’s discount beer segment, Every beer drinker who helped could mail it back to JR and Agency Leo Burnett which accounts for 40% of total keep costs down would in turn in return it would give them CDs Judy John, beer sales, but is incredibly become a zealot for the brand, something from the brewery as Lisa Greenberg fragmented with over 35 brands. helping drive engagement and, compensation, like a tiny plastic Group CDs Paul Giannetta, The brand has had to fi ght for of course, volume. dinosaur. Thousands of drinkers Sean Barlow every possible share point since it One request was to help a participated, and JR’s irreverent Copywriters Steve Persico, launched four years ago. In 2010, young couple get married, so response helped cement their Sean Barlow it wasn’t getting any easier. The the brand decided to throw love of the brand. ADs Anthony Chelvanathan, big players were getting bigger them a James Ready wedding. Against 2009 as a base, Paul Giannetta and tastes were changing, with JR assumed the role of wedding JR’s sales in hectolitres grew spirits gaining ground. And just planner, fl orist and even caterer. 29.2% by the beginning of 2011. when the brand was achieving They designed everything from JR’s market share grew from traction on its tiny budget, the centrepieces to the groom’s 1.04% in 2009 to 1.39% by the legislative changes affected cuffl inks to the DJ’s set list. And beginning of 2011, translating the price of beer and one of the on May 1 over 100 cheerful and into a 25.2% increase over that brand’s key claims. beer-chugging guests enjoyed period. That share level equates And yet, James Ready’s share, the bliss of wedlock, and a bar to more than $30 million in sales volume and shipments stocked with ice cold JR. sales annually. continued to fl ourish this year. Next, JR bought billboards in Finally, JR succeeded in taking Although younger drinkers selected towns in the parking share from the leading brands (19 to 24) love the taste of lots of Beer Stores. They offered in the discount segment, Carling premium beers, these beers free haircuts and free portraits and Lakeport. From 2008 to 2011, are too expensive to be their right under the billboards so while JR share increased by 47%, volume brands. Discount beers, people could save money and Carling market share fell by -14% by contrast, have the price young buy James Ready beer. and Lakeport share fell by -22%. drinkers want, but not the fun As part of an in-case JR has received thousands of that they thirst for in their main promotion, JR gave away a fans’ stories, pictures and videos. brand. JR’s opportunity was to calendar found inside each 2-4. When a person loves a brand address this unmet need for a Drinkers had to collect all 369 so much they get it tattooed fun, social brand and engage unique beer caps that went with on their body, they’re doing its drinkers in a way that was each day and stick them on the something right. uncommon in the category. calendar. Fans loved sharing their JR asked fans to participate and completed and semi-completed

A6 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A6 22/09/11 6:20 PM GOLD ATOMIC IDEA Worldwide Short Film Festival’s viral direction

Also won: Silver Best Broadcast Engagement

online than in theatres, Doug & views rose to over half a million. Serge decided to demonstrate The short fi lm remakes the difference between the two: popped up on video blogs, in quality. That led to the concept Twitter feeds and in nearly every that anyone can upload but few major publication in Canada. can direct. Over 200 different websites Three short fi lm directors featured the videos, including were asked to re-imagine the Mashable, IMDB and Reddit. most popular online amateur At a time when festivals, video to ever go viral, “Charlie operas and theatres are Bit My Finger,” with over 300 experiencing a steady decline, million views worldwide, using the WSFF total box offi ce Credits The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) three fi lm genres. Real movie revenue was up 10% from last Client The Canadian needed to create buzz around posters were created and posted year and attendance went up Film Centre its Worldwide Short Film Festival throughout Toronto directing 28%. Visits to the website rose Agency Doug & Serge (WSFF) that would ultimately people to a page within the 60% and total YouTube hits CCO Doug Robinson translate to ticket sales. WSFF website where they could reached 847,000 in just under CD Ian Schwey These days it’s easy for anyone watch the original Charlie a month, a 945% increase Senior AD Mike Jones to record something and post video and the three short fi lm from last year. With nearly one Copywriter it online for the world to see. remakes. million views and increased Cameron Hudson The biggest challenge was On the fi rst day of the festival attendance, it was clear convincing an audience who campaign, YouTube’s view consumers agreed that anyone can easily watch short videos at counter literally froze as total can upload, but few can direct. home for free, to pay to watch views reached 50,000 in just short fi lms at the Worldwide under an hour. Views rose to Short Film Festival. over 100,000 by day three and Since audiences are spending over 200,000 after the fi rst more time watching videos week. After three weeks, total

BRONZE ATOMIC IDEA Subaru’s lively launch

The objective was to introduce Using fi lm as the driving Views for “Pure Performance” the all-new 2011 Subaru force, DDB created a real, living content online have surpassed WRX-STI and re-establish it as a fl ipbook commercial that comes 750,000 and the campaign “true-performance” car, as well alive only when the WRX-STI crushed all sales expectations. as increase sales by +25% after 12 passes it, using no post or CGI. Sales more than doubled during months of fl at sales. In addition to paid and social the campaign period to 449 cars The biggest challenge was to media, a multi-angle video (+126% vs. the previous year). launch a performance car under shoot at an off-road rally race strict ASC guidelines that didn’t created a series of YouTube allow the demonstration of videos allowing the viewer to performance – no speeding, no change the camera angle in drifting, no jumping – in other real-time, giving them control words, no fun. over the action.

Credits Client Subaru Canada; Agency DDB Canada; CDs Andrew Simon, Todd Mackie, Denise Rossetto; ACD/AD Paul Wallace; AD Yusong Zhang; Copywriter Daniel Bonder

AToMiC Awards 2011 A7

Atomic.Oct11.indd A7 22/09/11 6:20 PM Entertaining 53% of Globe Women enjoy entertaining at home.

OUR AUDIENCE 2 SPENDS MORE THAN JUST TIME.

Fashion & Beauty The Globe Woman spent $70.2 million on jewellery in the last year.

1 Home & Design The Globe Woman spent $3.2 billion on home improvements in the last two years.

3

Globe Style is Canada’s premier weekly publication for style infl uencers and tastemakers. Our readers spend billions each year on everything from fashion and beauty products to home renovations. By positioning quality products with premium content, our focus is to constantly add more for our consumers. From vibrant full-page colour print ads, to engaging digital experiences, mobile integrations and social opportunities, Globe Style allows you to reach our desirable audience on every platform.

To learn more about Globe Style advertising opportunities, contact your Globe representative at:

1.800.387.9012 | [email protected]

or visit GOLD TRANSMEDIA Canadian Tourism Commission’s social explorations

experiences Canada could offer. newspapers were taken over Also, people’s travel desires with wraps that looked like a were increasingly being inspired blog including QR codes that by friends and larger online live-linked to long-form content communities. on the Keep Exploring blog. The insight was to rally Online ads used Google Maps around the sharing of and Street View technology authentic “traveller-to-traveller” to virtually transport experiences. The invitation travellers onto real Canadian to “Keep Exploring” would streets. Digital storescapes give travellers the emotional transformed empty storefronts commitment and bragging into Twitter-based murals rights – “I’m going to Canada that featured interactive to do that” – and would compel touch-screen interfaces and them to choose Canada over aggregated tweets and photos Credits Tourism is one of the other exotic locales. from real travellers to Canada, Client Canadian Tourism fastest growing sectors in DDB created a social media posted in real time. Commission the global economy, and inspired campaign platform The “Keep Exploring” Agency DDB Canada while the pie was getting that showed authentic traveller campaign platform has helped CDs Cosmo Campbell, Dean bigger, Canada’s share was experiences in a style mimicking propel Canada to being named Lee, Josh Fehr shrinking within an intensely the way consumers research the number one country brand Copywriters Dean Lee, competitive international their own trips. All elements in the world by FutureBrand, Cosmo Campbell, Kevin tourism marketplace. Trying of the campaign led to the bumping the U.S. from the top Rathgeber, Cameron Warden, to sell Canada as a vacation Keep Exploring interactive blog, spot. Seven of the nine countries Jeff Galbraith, Neil Shapiro, destination in a world of which used social media to polled are CTC key markets Jarrod Banadyga, Jessica exotic tourism locales posed a allow consumers to get a richer that received over 80% of CTC’s Schnurr, Mark Sissons defi nite challenge. picture of the travel experience international marketing budget ADs Cosmo Campbell, Through quantitative studies and join the conversation. and contributed approximately Dean Lee, Murray Falconer, by the Global Tourism Watch, On television, instead of 85% of all international Brandon Thomas, Chris it was found that Canada was spending large sums on lavish arrivals in 2010. This is the fi rst Moore, Colin Hart stereotyped as all beautiful productions, travellers’ videos step in the CTC’s efforts to scenery and outdoors, and a bit from YouTube were used to capture Canada’s fair share of one-dimensional. International tell a series of stories. Print international tourism growth. travellers didn’t have enough emulated Flickr and Facebook, of a sense of the breadth of and the front covers of major

BRONZE TRANSMEDIA CTV’s spectacular SuperBodies

Inspired by the forensic competitive winter sports on the what truly happens on the inside animation on the show CSI, bodies of elite athletes. when star athletes perform. SuperBodies was fi rst introduced In partnership with CTV Online, Facebook and Twitter during the 2010 Olympic Games Olympics and the Bell Broadcast facilitated knowledge sharing as a series of two-minute and New Media Fund, an and fan interaction with athletes vignettes exploring the anatomy educational game app was and sports scientists. of elite athletes. created to support the doc. With With its continued success, In February 2011, Discovery 3D animation and original video CTV commissioned another 12 Canada aired a new incarnation segments, the SuperBodies segments for the 2012 Summer – a 60-minute documentary that mobile app allows users to peel Olympic Games in London. further explored the impact of away the human skin to reveal

Credits Funded by Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund CTV; Produced by Peace Point Entertainment Group; Executive producer Les Tomlin; Director John Turner; Writer Ken Hegan

A10 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A10 22/09/11 6:21 PM SILVER TRANSMEDIA H&M struts the MMVAs

entry for the contest, “Be H&M’s H&M also became the Fashion Blogger at the 2011 fi rst advertiser to design the MMVAs.” wristband that served as the To promote the contest, Much ticket to the MMVAs. produced a 30-second spot that The 2011 MMVAs were the aired for four weeks. Viewers most-watched broadcast submitted videos showcasing in Much history. The MMVA their fashionista credentials microsite saw a 125% increase in and utilized their own social visits over last year on show day, network to acquire votes. and four of the top 10 trending Much and H&M selected their Twitter hashtags worldwide Top 4 Fashion Bloggers and were MMVA-related. their profi les were featured H&M saw double-digit growth on the MMVA Fashion Vertical, in Facebook “likes” and Twitter along with their music- and followers, and with over 13 fashion-related blog posts. million impressions delivered During MMVA weekend, across TV, online and mobile, Credits H&M looked to MuchMusic to winning fashion blogger H&M got its fashion-related Client H&M (Hennes & develop a never-done-before Hilary Allen did everything content to viewers wherever Mauritz) creative initiative that would and anything fashion related they were. Agency MediaCom extend reach beyond their including talking fashion with Media MuchMusic, MuchMusic Video Awards Canadian pop sensation Fefe Bell Media (MMVA) sponsorship. Dobson at H&M, taking over For the fi rst time, Much the red carpet and co-hosting created a Fashion Hub within two live cut-ins that aired the MMVA website that during the broadcast, and live incorporated H&M-inspired blog tweeting from H&M Canada’s posts and hosted the point of Twitter account.

BRONZE TRANSMEDIA FilmCAN’s project in the parks

The National Parks Project (NPP) elements could interconnect The full collection of NPP fi lms is an exploration of the link through the “virtual park.” then premiered at the Hot Docs between nature and creativity, The NPP kicked off with the Film Festival, and the full LP/CD produced in part to celebrate TV series premiere on Discovery was released to iTunes. These the centennial of Parks Canada, World HD in March. Each episode events set the stage for the captured in a TV series and followed the artists through Toronto premiere of the NPP Live augmented online by FilmCAN. the parks as they pursued their on May 19, the actual centennial The genesis of NPP was a creative goal in an unfamiliar of Parks Canada. series of trips to 13 national environment, and concluded with The project has received parks across Canada. Each trip a throw to the website, where coverage and acclaim in included a different group short fi lms were unlocked weekly. publications such as the Globe of three musicians and one Songs written and recorded in and Mail, as well as on CBC fi lmmaker, whose task was to the parks, photographs, artist Newsworld and other major collaborate on a short fi lm and bios, park information and bonus outlets. Six episodes of the soundtrack that captured their video content for every park was documentary series have been collective impressions of the included. Also, each week a new sold to Air Canada, and it has landscape. The website was a digital EP of music was released attracted the attention of several hub wherein all of the various through iTunes. international festivals.

Credits Client Parks Canada; Production company FilmCAN; Created and produced by Joel McConvey, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth; Executive producer Michael McMahon; Produced by Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon

AToMiC Awards 2011 A11

Atomic.Oct11.indd A11 22/09/11 6:21 PM GOLD BRAND INTEGRATION Coca-Cola has teens covered

Covers,” giving teens a shot at while creating even more fame. The campaign challenged original videos. fame-seekers to videotape On June 19, the fi nalists arrived their own renditions of popular at the 2011 MMVAs where songs and post them online at Danyka Nadeau was given the Covers.muchmusic.com, while fi rst Coca-Cola Covers Award. also pushing them out through Covers created a compelling their own social media feeds. connection with teens, with The website was fi lled with 1,200 videos uploaded and user-generated content and almost 52 hours of total content allowed fans to vote on their created – triple the estimates. favourite “Covers.” The website generated over After 10 weeks, votes were 330,000 visitors and two million Credits Coca-Cola was in decline, notably tallied, deciding the fate of 10 page views. Over two million Client Coca-Cola Canada with youth 12 to 19. It needed to semi-fi nalists. Over the next fi ve impressions were delivered Agency UM make a connection and move the weeks they were challenged to across social media platforms. Senior media manager, needle on brand love. cover new songs and leverage Key equity indicators increased integrated marketing To leverage the powerful their social media prowess to amongst teens, with brand love Karen Lee role that music plays in teen win more votes and views. Three scores (“For someone like me”) CD Trevor Bozyk life, Coke partnered with the fi nalists rose to the top, earning increasing by +8.1% vs YAG. Also, Media partner MuchMusic MuchMusic Video Awards live performances on New. media impressions reached over (MMVAs) to create “Coca-Cola Music.Live and press features, six million for the campaign.

SILVER BRAND INTEGRATION Danone ‘coolides’ with Splatalot

When Danone wanted to reach The integration begins in the Facebook and Twitter updates tweens, it saw a connection opening sequence and is carried kept fans engaged, and there was between its Coolision yogurt and through in the form of a bumper a masthead presence throughout the demo for Splatalot, a show and the “Best Coolision of the the show site, as well as a Castle on Corus's YTV that’s a children’s Day,” a look back at the best Coolision-themed game, a spin on Wipeout. splats and falls from the episode. microsite and exclusive videos. Due to kids TV regulations, the The cool quotient of the show Splatalot was a Top 20 show for advertiser was unable to utilize was leveraged through billboards, the broadcaster and Danone kids traditional product placement, so tune-in spots and a contest for volume was up 25% over last year. it had to be inventive. the chance to be a contestant. Credits Client Danone; Company Corus Entertainment; Executive producers Mark J.W. Bishop, Ted Brunt, Matthew Hornburg; Producer Julie Dutrisac; CD Johnny Kalangis; Copywriter Adam Wenn; Production company Marblemedia

BRONZE BRAND INTEGRATION Doritos writes the end To appeal to its young target, fl avours during the Super Bowl, winner out of 14 peer-chosen Doritos gave consumers ultimate but the last 20 seconds was left fi nalists. On May 5, the fi nished control of the brand by asking to be written. Over six weeks, spot and winner were revealed them to choose one of two new people could visit Writetheend.ca on MuchMusic and MusiquePlus. fl avours: Onion Rings n’ Ketchup where more than 30,000 endings Mélanie Normandin won $25,000 or Buffalo Wings n’ Ranch. to the spot were written. and + 1% of all future Onion Rings A TV spot introduced the A panel of judges picked the n’ Ketchup sales.

Credits Client Frito Lay Canada; Agency BBDO Toronto; SVP/ECDs Carlos Moreno, Peter Ignazi; Writer/ACD Ryan Spelliscy; AD/ACD Karen Larmour

A12 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A12 22/09/11 6:22 PM GOLD TECH BREAKTHROUGH Corn Pops gets Popnetic

enough for Facebook and Twitter. Messenger. As tweens logged The demo is starting to expand on, they were prompted to play their media consumption beyond a real-time game within the TV. This meant digital had to play actual chat. With their webcams a critical role. activated, they see each other, The campaign focus was the but a kitchen table is projected new Corn Pops “It’s Popnetic” between them with an empty platform (it’s kinetic, it’s phonetic bowl on either side. To play, and it’s magnetic). It started with tweens use their mouse to fl ing online drivers to the brand site. Corn Pops at their counterpart. In a series of media fi rsts, the Using their heads, they bounce agency leveraged the webcam the fl ying Corn Pops into the as a means to spark tween bowl. (A non-webcam version of Credits After six years of advertising conversation more directly and the game was also available.) Client Kellogg Canada inactivity, Kellogg’s wanted to in real-time. For 80% of Canadian The Corn Pops site attracted Agency Starcom reintroduce Corn Pops by shifting tweens, the number one social more tweens a month in Canada MediaVest Group the focus to tweens. media was online instant than long-established sites such Group director, digital The company charged Starcom messaging (IM). as Mattel.com, Hasbro.com and Robin Hassan MediaVest Group with targeting The agency employed advanced Millsbery.com. Volume is up 3% Media carrier MSN, kids between the ages of 10 and motion-control technology and net sales have popped +5.3%. Branded Entertainment 14, but this presented a challenge to create a totally new IM Truly Popnetic results. Experience Team – too young for TV but not old experience, partnering with MSN

SILVER TECH BREAKTHROUGH Canadian Blood Services taps Facebookers’ friends

One in two people will either Canadians to the fact that personalized video – pulling need blood themselves or know supplies are low and blood is in statistics, visuals and audio someone who will, yet only 4% of needed. Online, Bloodsignal.ca narrative that works around the population donates. It was was developed, with the goal of each person’s unique set of critical to reposition Canadian attracting 100,000 new donors friends and activity. Blood Services (CBS) as a brand annually within three years. In the fi rst three months, that can’t be ignored. To hit donors-to-be, DDB used CBS collected over 11,000 units Offl ine, the fi rst-ever Canadian Facebook Connect linking to of blood from new donors – blood icon was created, alerting the microsite that hosted a exceeding its target by 27%.

Credits Client Canadian Blood Services; Agency DDB Canada/Tribal DDB/Radar DDB; CDs Denise Rossetto, Louis-Philippe Tremblay; ACD/ copywriter Matt Antonello; ACD/AD Paul Riss; AD Barry Lachapelle

BRONZE TECH BREAKTHROUGH Storming Juno gets interactive

Secret Location was tasked with through a 3D setting, where selection. Clicking each fragment extending the narrative of the graphical “hotspots” serve as unlocks an actual veteran or docudrama Storming Juno via a gateways to stories told by eyewitness story from the beach riveting site incorporating fi lm Canadian veterans and other on D-Day. clips, photography and CGI. The witnesses. The fi lm clips then immersive 360 environment fragment into a 3D interface allows viewers to navigate that serves as a menu for story

Credits Client History Television; Website Secret Location; Executive producer James Milward; CD, lead designer Pietro Gagliano; Technical director, lead developer Ryan Andal; AD, motionographer Steve Miller; Writers Christopher Gagosz, Noora Abu Eitah, James Milward

AToMiC Awards 2011 A13

Atomic.Oct11.indd A13 22/09/11 6:22 PM GOLD BROADCAST ENGAGEMENT Endgame gets personal online

Traumatized by the murder share the content right into the of his fi ancée, Balagan has story narrative. become a prisoner in his The Facebook integration luxury hotel, terrifi ed to step was continuously tweeted outside. To pay his bill, Balagan and blogged about around starts solving mysteries using the world. The traffi c numbers an unlikely band of hotel were very good for a show employees and chess fanatics on a specialty channel, with to do his legwork. over 300,000 page views and Secret Location wanted to 100,000 visitors. The site won create an online execution that several prestigious online design had the same high production awards including a Favourite values as the show and create Website Award (FWA). Credits Endgame Interactive is a a direct interaction with the Client Showcase transmedia episode created show’s charismatic star. Created By Secret Location to extend the Showcase To carry the show online, they TV production company television drama Endgame conceived of an original episode Thunderbird Films online. The audience plays where viewers join Balagan’s Executive producers James an interactive mystery where band of investigators and Milward, Alan Sawyer they take on a main role in the participate in putting the pieces Producer CJ Hervey narrative, which is populated together to solve a mystery. CD/lead designer with information from their The episode places the user’s Pietro Gagliano Facebook account. Fans interact Facebook friends at the centre Technical director/lead with the cast, search for clues, of the kidnapping mystery. The developer Ryan Andal question suspects and unravel online experience is built on a Writer/director Steve the mystery in a cinematic and platform that integrates social Cochrane personal experience. media directly into the story, Endgame is an original posting cryptic messages to series centred on brilliant viewers’ Facebook accounts chess master Arkady Balagan. and building the need to

BRONZE BROADCAST ENGAGEMENT Swiss Chalet’s Rotisserie Channel drums up interest

To push Swiss Chalet’s iconic intermittently featured that newspaper, online and billboard product even further into gave deals on the rotisserie campaign. the public consciousness and chicken viewers were watching. The goal was 10,000 coupon drive sales, BBDO created a BBDO broke the campaign downloads over three months, world media fi rst. It bought to online media outlet (and but in week one, there was an entire channel on Canada’s strategy sister site) Media in 13,707, and 32,546 after three largest cable provider that Canada. The word spread and months. There were over fi ve just broadcast one thing: six “Swiss Chalet” and “rotisserie” million “likes” on Facebook, more chickens turning continuously both became trending topics than 28,000 new friends, 8,224 on a spit. To drive interest and on Twitter. The agency then downloaded screen savers and viewership they shot teaser used what the public was chicken delivery orders went up videos that launched on saying about the Rotisserie 30% almost immediately. Overall, YouTube and Facebook. Channel to create a new online it has earned over 36 million free Once the channel launched, video, showcasing quotes from media impressions. promotion codes were actual tweets. Next came a TV,

Credits Client Cara Operations; SVP, ECDs Carlos Moreno, Peter Ignazi; Copywriters Kurt Hagan, Frank Macera; ADs Doug Bramah, Sungho So, Alice Blastorah, Johnny Pavacic, Jonathan Guy; Media agency MEC; Production house Radke Films

A14 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A14 22/09/11 6:23 PM GOLD EXPERIENTIAL ENGAGEMENT James Ready calls back its caps

Burnett was asked to explain to James Ready received confused customers what had thousands of caps from drinkers happened. It chose to use direct and continues to do so. The as a way to address each drinker fans have been talking about and fi x the problem. the recall on Facebook and The brand launched a Blank discussing the items they got Cap Recall. Any drinker who back. The blank caps may have received a blank cap on their beer raised doubts but the recall could mail it back and in return proved that the brand really would get “something” from does appreciate its drinkers. After a printing screw-up left the brewery as compensation – millions of James Ready beer anything from a toy hamster to a caps blank, its agency Leo ping-pong paddle.

Credits Client James Ready; Agency Leo Burnett; CCO Judy John; CDs Judy John, Lisa Greenberg; Copywriter Steve Persico; AD Anthony Chelvanathan

SILVER EXPERIENTIAL ENGAGEMENT Mini’s virtual vending machine

The Mini Vending Machine was Vending Machine. was videotaped and sent to the an interactive night projection A personalized SMS message national press. in downtown Toronto. Minis in was dispatched to participants, The Vending Machine different colour confi gurations encouraging them to click reinforced Mini’s cachet and were shown and passersby were through to a mobile-optimized cool factor, creating PR and invited to interact with them web page to become a Mini social media buzz in Canada and by texting to a short code to Facebook fan. around the world. To cap it off, select the Mini of their choice, Downtown high-traffi c Mini’s counterparts throughout which then drove around in a locations with a busy nightlife Europe and Australia are fun animation, making its way buzz were chosen for the bringing the Vending Machine to down to the bottom of the projections. Each execution those markets.

Credits Client Mini Canada; Agency Taxi 2; ECD Lance Martin; AD Jeff MacEachern; Writer Alanna Nathanson; Media agency Media Experts; Animation Hatch Studios; Interactive Fourth Wall; Mobile marketing Mythum; Projection company The Media Merchants

BRONZE EXPERIENTIAL ENGAGEMENT First United’s street sculptures

To create awareness for the the soiled clothes. A cardboard So far, PR has generated nine good that First United does sign reading “Help get someone million media impressions. in the homeless community, off the street” accompanied each This includes newspaper and specifi cally that they help get sculpture, along with a cup that local television, as well as people off the streets, DDB contained slips of paper with trade magazine coverage and placed life-sized statues of directions to Facebook profi les numerous blogs. Although the homeless people on streets in of people who’d actually been main focus of the campaign downtown Vancouver. Upon helped off the street by First was awareness, several people closer inspection it became clear United, linking back to First were moved to donate sizeable that there were no people inside United’s website. amounts to First United.

Credits Client First United; Agency DDB Canada; CDs Cosmo Campbell, Dean Lee; Copywriters Kevin Rathgeber, James Chutter, Cameron Reed; AD Colin Hart

AToMiC Awards 2011 A15

Atomic.Oct11.indd A15 22/09/11 6:23 PM GOLD PRINT ENGAGEMENT Ikea’s moving day

begin and end on this day. Ikea movers. On top of all the launched an experiential media OOH, Ikea took control of a campaign to make moving radio station with a playlist of easier by providing people in songs designed to keep people Montreal with boxes (which moving and directing them to can be very hard to come by the box locations. during the weeks leading up to More than 10,000 boxes were Moving Day). given away over the course of The OOH execution featured two weeks, and Ikea was sent Ikea-branded boxes people thank-you emails and notes. could take with them, printed Local media picked up on the with moving tips, checklists, offering and news of the “free a dinner offer for those who Ikea boxes” grew online as well. Credits Every year Ikea has a Summer had yet to set up kitchens and But most importantly, the idea Client Ikea Canada Sale in Montreal. The sale an offer for Ikea furniture. The really paid off with sales at the Media agency coincides with a particularly boxes were staged as wild Montreal stores up 37% from Jungle Media busy July period of moving in postings around the city in easy- last year. Creative agency the city, and it is sometimes to-reach, high-traffi c locations. If Leo Burnett diffi cult to get Montrealers’ the boxes were taken, there was Creative group heads attention. Ikea needed to fi gure messaging underneath telling David Federico, out a way to not only invite people to come back soon once Morgan Kurchuk them to the sale, but help them they were replenished. CCO Judy John out at this busy time. Also, 14-foot pyramids of Other agencies involved: Not everyone in Montreal moving boxes were placed Optimum Events, Grassroots actually moves on Moving Day in high-traffi c areas of the Advertising, Titan Outdoor (July 1), but a lot of them do, city where an event team Advertising since fi xed term leases typically distributed them to desperate

SILVER PRINT ENGAGEMENT TVO’s tiger next door

TVO, Ontario’s publicly funded drove to TVO.org. The idea was Facebook’s Social Ads and the media organization, found it had to change the perception of TVO TVO Twitter account, it reached a signifi cant portion of viewers by reaching the target during existing TVO fans and recruited 65+ but was lacking engagement moments of quiet contemplation others with paid exposure and with the burgeoning younger and small talk, such as in an viral response. viewer and future donor. elevator. To promote The Tiger The campaign earned The impetus was to Next Door the agency took 5.6 million media impressions, contemporize and re-colour TVO advantage of the media itself, and audience viewership overall by engaging a younger demo turning elevators into tiger cages. for The Tiger Next Door grew where they work and live, by Consumers entered “the cage” by 29%. Viewers 45 to 65 grew highlighting some of the more and could immediately feel like by 7%. During the course of the intriguing programs TVO had to a trapped animal. The elevators campaign, clicks to the TVO home offer, like The Tiger Next Door, a were surrounded with posters to page increased 28% and clicks to disturbing documentary about keep that feeling top of mind. the schedule page increased 19% wild tigers kept in captivity in Online, the agency utilized year over year. Facebook over- North America. rich media ad units and delivered on planned impressions, United by the tagline “TVO video-embedded banners and expanding the TVO fan page by makes you think,” the campaign highlighted the time-sensitivity 50% by campaign end. launched the fall schedule and and compelling content. Through

CreditsO Client; Agency TV Leo Burnett; CDs Judy John, Lisa Greenberg; Group CD Kelly Zettel; Copywriter Matthew Williamson ; AD Rob Trickey

A16 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A16 22/09/11 6:24 PM GOLD NICHE TARGETING MasterCard’s digital intern hunt

– not by posting ads on campus letter and a link to “something job boards. creative” that further MasterCard historically demonstrated their digital received no more than know-how. Applicants then had 30 applications for intern to follow MasterCard on Twitter positions. They wanted to to fi nd out next steps. surpass this number with In the end, students that worthy, pre-fi ltered candidates. successfully completed the The campaign itself needed application process had to refl ect the well-known also demonstrated their “priceless” positioning and be understanding of the digital something students would landscape. Candidates that talk about. also created something unique The intern call had to appeal and compelling were invited to to 18- to 23-year-olds so the look, meet the selection team in a feel and use of technology had one-day workshop and to be relevant and enable an face-to-face panel interview. innovative application process. The campaign exceeded all The agency created the “Social expectations, with 532 qualifi ed Interview” – an elaborate online candidates. Facebook fans exercise that used social media grew by 400% in four weeks Credits MasterCard Canada wanted to to pre-screen candidates and fi nd – establishing a channel for Client MasterCard hire four digitally savvy interns the best and brightest interns. future engagement – and Agency MacLaren McCann to work in the marketing and Posters on campuses featured 46% of MasterCard Twitter ECD Mike Halminen product solutions group at the QR codes and shortened URLs conversations were about the Group CD Dave Stubbs Toronto headquarters. They so that smartphone-equipped intern program. MasterCard AD Jeremy Lenz recognized that the success students could access info hired an extra intern because Copywriter Sarah Deziel of the company depends on about the program. This took of the quality of the candidates, the quality of people they hire, them to a Facebook fan page and the Social Interview process and they wanted the brightest, where a “like” unpacked the info is now part of MasterCard’s most qualifi ed interns. To that they needed on how to apply. global recruitment effort. end, they knew they had to Students then went to LinkedIn reach candidates in a new way to upload a resume, cover

BRONZE PRINT ENGAGEMENT BC Hydro’s sensory experience

BC Hydro, through its Power radio and TSA creative, a high- A QR code and URL drove to Smart program, is faced with a traffi c storefront was created the Power Smart section of BC unique challenge: trying to get with a motion sensor display Hydro’s mobile site where offers, British Columbians to use less of that integrated energy effi cient tips, product rebates and links to what it sells – electricity. LED lights, semi-transparent fi lm Facebook and Twitter were found. Research showed that energy and lasers sensors. Over the 38 days in market waste isn’t perceived to be that The lights behind each word in there were 142,880 interactions bad because we can’t see it. BC the message “Let’s be smart with with the boards, and 91% of Hydro needed to help people see our power” only turned on when British Columbians agreed that when energy is being used, and someone passed in front of they would be “doing more” to when it can be saved. them, bringing to life the idea of save power since seeing the As a complement to TV, print, only using the power you need. campaign, an increase of 6%.

Credits Client BC Hydro; Agency DDB, Vancouver; CDs Dean Lee, Cosmo Campbell; Copywriters Neil Shapiro, Katie Ainsworth; AD John Larigakis; Media/production company The Media Merchants

AToMiC Awards 2011 A17

Atomic.Oct11.indd A17 22/09/11 6:24 PM SILVER DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT Canadian Tire’s house that innovation built

The Canadian Tire House of homeowner. It bought a house more than 105,000 unique Innovation was an agency that needed some work and visitors spent an average of more initiative that grew into took on a long list of repairs than fi ve minutes on the site. In a one of the retailer’s biggest and decorating projects. The single 24-hour period, a YouTube commitments of the year. efforts were fi lmed to educate mosaic expandable banner Recently, Canadian Tire’s homeowners on how to do home generated 8,812,314 impressions innovation scores softened in improvement projects using and 39,389,550 interactions. tracking research. To reverse this innovative products. It then There have been more than decline, Taxi thought, who better launched HouseofInnovation.ca 3.5 million views of the anthem than Canadian Tire to teach to showcase the work. video that explains the program Canadians how to do things The House of Innovation and invites people back for around the house? launched as part of the larger future installments. Seems like Canadian Tire became Canada’s new “Bring It On” brand Canadian Tire has one of those fi rst retailer to become a campaign. In the fi rst month, houses people like to visit.

Credits Client Canadian Tire; Agency Taxi; Co-ECDs Darren Clark, Jason McCann; CDs Stefan Wegner, Nathan Monteith; AD Andrew Hart; Writers Chris Davies, Jen Durning, Jono Holmes, Geoff Morgan

SILVER DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT Skittles touches the rainbow

Over the last several years, screen, it simply asked people to YouTube homepage ran for two Skittles communications had touch their computer screen and days, and promoted video ads ran been mainly limited to TV, and then watch as their fi nger played on YouTube for two weeks. there was little opportunity to a starring role in fi ve online ads. Within three days, the videos engage with the brand unless Fingers fought crime, had over 1.5 million views and you were a Facebook fan. hitchhiked, befriended cats and exceeded the campaign target With touch technology even went to war. of 800,000. Over a month, spearheading a new generation The videos were hosted on they received over fi ve million of digital interaction, BBDO a branded Canadian Skittles views and were featured on wanted to show people what YouTube channel, seeded to 2,200 blogs. The Skittles videos happens when they actually nearly 300 blogs and linked to elicited over 104,600 comments, “Touch the Rainbow.” But it on Skittles’ Facebook page. In 88,000 Facebook shares and didn’t invent a new kind of touch addition, a masthead on the 5,000 tweets.

Credits Client Wrigley Canada; Agency BBDO Toronto; SVP, ECDs Carlos Moreno, Peter Ignazi; Writer Chris Joakim; AD Mike Donaghey; Production company OPC; Online production Lunch/Pixel Pusher

BRONZE DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SunChips makes a fuss

When SunChips’s compostable Lay reps explaning the decision, of headphones. bag turned out to be very noisy, which were posted on YouTube Within 48 hours, the campaign the U.S. abandoned it, but Frito with links to a Facebook page. had garnered 3,992 (now 8,200+) Lay Canada stuck with it. Capital Advertorials in major papers Facebook “likes” and 55 million C’s objective was to reverse the drove to Facebook, where media impressions, and sales consequent sales decline. consumers were encouraged show positive momentum. The “Hear What the Fuss is All to assess the noise level, and if About” campaign leveraged social they still believed it was too loud, media via videos featuring Frito SunChips would send them a pair

Credits Client Frito Lay Canada; Agency Capital C; CD David Horovitch; Copywriter Christopher Loudon

A18 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A18 22/09/11 6:25 PM SILVER ATOMIC CSR JWT’s Brandaid solution

countries) to presidents and – the fi rst integrated marketing creative directors. Each artisan program ever for an artisan object was selected based on microenterprise. fi t with one of the agency’s top These efforts contributed clients. Attached to these works to landing a major order with of art was a recruitment DVD Macy’s (called Heart of Haiti) that challenged agencies to help. that launched in October 2010. The DVD pointed out that it’s The Macy’s deal reignited the fairly easy to build brands for prospects for the artisan sector big, multinational clients but in the country and demonstrated wondered if the agencies were a new brand and marketing- good enough to build brands oriented development model. for small, impoverished artisan The Brandaid Project is Started in 2009, the Brandaid communities. JWT used the anticipating the launch of Project is a social enterprise television ads the agencies had multiple brands from Haiti and that launches new brands created for their own clients to other countries over the next from poor countries. When it make the point. 18 months – with the creative began, it focused on branding Five agencies and numerous support of committed agencies. and launching artisan creative volunteers have come microenterprises in Haiti. forward to participate in the JWT created a direct mail launch of new brands. JWT campaign soliciting the help of also helped create some advertising agencies, their clients of the brand identity elements and sponsors. It sent one-of-a- for two artisan communities kind works of art (created by and helped complete banner Brandaid artisans from different ads, viral videos and webisodes

Credits ECDs Martin Shewchuk, Paul Wales; ACD/AD Andy Brokenshire; ACD/copywriter Dean Hore

BRONZE ATOMIC ROI Workopolis works from home

Even though Workopolis is a “National Work From Home media attention from CBC’s Canada’s largest online job Day.” It repositioned the existing The National, Global News and site, it had only 1,000 Facebook Workopolis Facebook fan page as the Globe and Mail, generating supporters. Zulu Alpha Kilo the hub of the movement, and over 20 million earned media wanted to boost that to 50,000, educated Canadians about the impressions. and achieve 10 million earned benefi ts of working from home As a surprising outcome, on media impressions. through a series of Facebook and Nov. 24, 2010, Liberal MP Mike A study of Workopolis users print ads. Workopolis partnered Savage stood in the House of revealed that what mattered with WWF Canada to align Commons wearing a branded most to jobseekers was with their movement to reduce Workopolis tie and introduced commute times. A staggering climate change. the Workopolis Work From Home 82% of respondents stated that In the fi rst fi ve months, the Day as Standing Order 31. The if they could work from home number of Workopolis Facebook movement was met with cheers they wouldn’t be so quick to supporters grew from 1,000 to from members of every party, change jobs. over 65,000. National Work From and Workopolis was praised for The agency therefore proposed Home Day attracted substantial being behind such a cause.

Credits Client Workopolis; Agency Zulu Alpha Kilo; PR Environics Communications; CDs Zak Mroueh, Joseph Bonnici; Copywriter George Ault; AD Simon Au; Digital production 58Ninety

AToMiC Awards 2011 A19

Atomic.Oct11.indd A19 22/09/11 6:26 PM Lauren Richards Mark Childs Jury Media consultant VP marketing, Campbell Canada A 28-year veteran of the media services industry, Lauren Richards Mark Childs has 20 years of proven marketing and sales leadership was most recently CEO of Media Experts, one of Canada’s largest experience in consumer packaged goods. Prior to his Campbell independent media strategy and negotiation companies. role, he held positions at Tribute Entertainment Group and Prior to joining Media Experts, Richards led the Canadian Kellogg Company in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. operations of Starcom MediaVest Group and Cossette Media Childs contributes to the Association of Canadian Co-chairs through periods of tremendous growth. Advertisers board and the Advertising Standards Richards served as the fi rst Canadian judge for the Canada children’s advertising committee. He was the Cannes Media Lions, and was Canada’s representative 2009 CASSIES judging chair and a New Product of again in 2009. A multiple Lion winner, Richards the Year Canada judge in 2010 and 2011. was also recognized as Media Director of the Year by Childs is the co-founder and 2008-2010 chair of Campbell strategy in 2009 and a Global Innovator of the Year by Company’s global gay and lesbian employee network, OPEN (Our the Internationalist magazine that same year. Pride Employee Network). He also volunteers as Advisory Board Director for PFLAG Canada and Out on Bay Street.

Nick Barbuto awards and for Educator of the Year gaming virals for clients such as working with global execs and VP digital solutions at the 2003 CNMAs. Holiday Inn, Tetley, Auto Trader, the Canadian leadership team Cossette Media Warchild, Maple Leaf Foods, Ideazon to oversee the development and As the strategic Alan Dark and Girl Guides of Canada. Jurisic execution of the business lead of interactive Executive director and the rest of John St. are multiple strategy around AOL’s core media product, Barbuto works on CBC Media Sales & CASSIES Award winners and have objectives of content creation brands such as Nike Canada, Telus, Marketing received a slew of other accolades. and advertising solutions. PlayStation, General Mills and Bank Dark joined CBC Before joining AOL, Moysey of Montreal. A seasoned online Media Sales and Sharon MacLeod served as SVP/GM of digital media marketer, Barbuto and his team Marketing as executive director in Brand building director at Canwest Global, and as VP of innovate in the in-game, mobile January 2010. Dark is responsible Unilever Canada sales and business development and interactive out-of-home spaces. for leading CBC’s national and MacLeod is best for Sympatico and MSN. Moysey He has spoken at industry events regional digital, specialty and known for her also serves on the national board through his work with the conventional television sales teams expertise in consumer of directors of the Interactive Interactive Advertising Bureau of and a cross-functional marketing behaviour, her creativity, Advertising Bureau of Canada. Canada, where he was an active team specializing in partnerships and as the driving force behind board member in 2003 and 2004. and branded entertainment. Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. A Barbara Smith Outside of work, Barbuto has Prior to joining CBC, Dark was true visionary in her fi eld, MacLeod Director of brand launched and grown numerous director of sales for the CTV challenges traditional marketing engagement, the online properties. Digital Media Group and director and business practices, believing Globe and Mail of broadcast sales at Canwest that professionals like her can Smith is responsible Mark Bishop Media Group. extend the power of brands to for trade advertising, Partner and positively impact the lives of sponsorships and events, sales executive producer Stephen Jurisic women everywhere. training and advertising research. Marblemedia Partner and creative Convinced that Canada is She also leads the marketing As partner and co- director, John St. the ideal place to launch bold, services team in the branding and founder of Marblemedia, Jurisic has worked progressive branding programs creative development of all sales Bishop is responsible for building at Bozell, Roche that can succeed on a global stage, support materials. strong relationships with and Partners, MacLeod became brand building Smith started out on the account broadcasters, content developers, McCann-Erickson, Saatchi director with Unilever Canada. side, working primarily in the technology partners and and Ammirati Puris where he Her work has been recognized by fi nancial services and retail sectors. investors. Bishop plays a key role established himself as one of the consumers and industry Throughout her 30-year career, in developing both television and top art directors in Canada. peers alike. Smith has managed to work with a

Advisory board executive committee executive Advisory board interactive projects that In 2000 Jurisic was named variety of famous Canadian brands. tell unique stories across co-CD of A&P with Angus Tucker Graham Moysey Her last agency assignment was at multiple platforms. before leaving for John St. He has General manager Vickers & Benson Arnold running At the 2008 Canadian New chaired the Marketing Awards, the AOL Canada the federal and provincial accounts, Media Awards (CNMAs) Bishop was Bessies, strategy magazine’s Shift Moysey has 15 where “challenged” budgets called named Producer of the Year and Disturbers think-tank and served years of experience for innovation and creativity. Marblemedia was named Company on the Cannes jury in 2009. in both traditional of the Year. Bishop has been John St.’s portfolio ranges from and new media. In his role at nominated for multiple Gemini “classical” advertising to online AOL, Moysey is responsible for

A20 www.strategyonline.ca

Atomic.Oct11.indd A20 22/09/11 6:26 PM TAKING ON THE NEW H O W T O IN A WORLD OF CHANGE

COME FACE2FACE WITH THE NEW B2B. 10.19.2011 Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library

REGISTER TODAY at www.the-cma.org or call 416-645-3281

Learn how to win in a World of Change. B2B markets are changing exponentially. So are customers. They want control, and are using web-based tools to get it. That means your lead generation, sales productivity and retention efforts need rethinking. That’s why we’ve gathered the leading thinkers and practitioners to teach you how to get the new measurement techniques, new technologies and new ways of reaching and engaging buyers working for your business. This is the B2B conference senior decision makers can’t afford to miss.

Silver Sponsors Luncheon Sponsor Refreshment Breaks Sponsor

Speaker Sponsor Twitter Concierge Sponsor Creative Sponsor Print Sponsor

ST.19891.CMA.Ad.indd 1 22/09/11 2:03 PM OUTSTANDING NEW CAMPAIGNS

BY JONATHAN PAUL

SMARTSET HITS THE SMALL SCREEN advertiser: SmartSet SmartSet has reinvented itself. The Canadian retailer, which boasts 158 stores across the country, has launched a agency: Bos rebranding effort featuring its fi rst-ever TV ads, its largest campaign to date. CD: Gary Watson Targeting fashion-conscious women in their late 20s, the new positioning shows the retailer as an on-trend, everyday- AD: Jennifer Saunders wear boutique that’s in tune with its customers’ lifestyles, offering clothing options for “all the living you do writer: Joanna Barrs in between.” It was developed over nine months by a team from the Montreal and Toronto offi ces of Bos (appointed AOR in designer: Jeffrey Rosenberg December 2010), along with Chemistry Branding, Loda Retail Design and Vision Critical Research. account supervisor: Maddie Gauthier Lighthearted TV ads touting SmartSet’s role in celebrating the moments leading up to the big ones, like getting account director: Sebastien Moise engaged, aim to differentiate the retailer by honing in on lifestyle rather than a singular focus on clothes and models. One prodco: Holiday Films TV ad, for example, features a woman who’s on the path to meeting Mr. Right. SmartSet offers her just the right outfi t she director: Lena Beug needs along the way even though it involves fi rst meeting Mr. Wrong. executive producer: Josefi na Nadurata “We fi gured it was time to turn the camera around and really try to get into the lives of our targets and understand producer: Amalie Bruun what’s important to them, the whole idea being to connect with them on a more emotional basis rather than doing the DoP: Tico Poulakakis traditional fashion spread,” says Gary Watson, CD, Bos Toronto. editorial: Bijou Edit More stylish labels for bags, garments and accessories that feature a softer, more feminine scheme and font – so as to editor: Ross Birchall not hijack the apparel – are part of the mix. Print and online ads, as well as in-store POS, complement the TV spots. Media music: Vapor was handled by Media Experts. photographer: Cheyenne Ellis SmartSet’s in-house creative department will be helping Bos’ graphic design team to roll out the retailer’s new look over the next few months.

46 www.strategyonline.ca

Creative.Oct11.indd 46 22/09/11 3:56 PM creative.

RICKARD’S PRE-MOVEMBER MO-DOWN Rickard’s is pitting ’stache against ’stache in a mega mo throwdown that stands to change the face of fashionable advertiser Rickard's, Molson Coors Canada Canadian facial hair. The Molson Coors brand has teamed up with the Movember organization to help raise awareness agency: CP+B Canada about prostate cancer through a contest that’s encouraging Mo Bros and Mo Sistas across the country to pick a side CDs: Darren Richardson, Michael Murray, Aaron Starkman and battle it out to see which moustache reigns supreme. Design director: John Thai The Facebook-housed effort developed by CP+B Canada, which was recently dropped as AOR by Molson Coors, ADs: Benson Ngo, Mark Scott has attributed a different moustache style and personality to the four different Rickard’s fl avours: the Red Imperials, copywriters: Scott MacGregor, Mike Dubrick White Walruses, Blonde Handlebars and Dark Chevrons. The goal is to have people pick a side based on their fl avour or designers: Dylan Royal, Justin Aitchenson moustache preference and then duel another mo in rowing, wrestling or fi sticuffs contests. Animated moustaches have illustrator & animation: Blame Your Brother at it, with points awarded to the winner. Points are also available by uploading pictures that show the progress of one’s integrated head of interactive production: Jen Dark mo growth. The pics can be used in an online fl ipbook to help participants monitor their mos. interactive technical director: Chris Czegel “Rickard’s has aligned with a cause that’s just as passionate as we are,” says Aaron Bilyea, senior brand manager, experience director: Bo Zou Rickard’s. “It enables Rickard’s to connect on a deeper level to one of our core consumer groups while spreading copy editor: Siobhan Grennan the word for a cause that affects one out of six men.” fl ash developer: Matt Grannary The contest is being promoted with a Gangs of New York-style online spot featuring two old-time moustached quality assurance: David Eyres men facing off, as well as in-store with limited-edition cans representative of the four mos. The ’stache with the integrated producer: James DeMello most points at the end will win, though Darren Richardson, CD, CP+B Canada, says this is a contest prodco: Untitled Films that steers away from the winner/loser mentality. director: Wendy Morgan “It’s not [really] a competition,” says Richardson. “It’s all about the cause.” executive producer (prodco): Lexy Kavluk agency producer: Kyle Trotter editorial company: Stealing Time editor: Geoff Ashenberg content management supervisor: Christine Macdonald cognitive anthropologists: Ryan Roberts, Doug Potwin president/CEO CP+B Can/group account director: Shelley Brown VP/director of cultural & business insights: Sub Nijjar

You are cordially invited to submit your new, dead clever and previously unrevealed campaigns to Jonathan Paul, curator of strategy’s Creative space, at [email protected].

STRATEGY October 2011 4747

Creative.Oct11.indd 47 22/09/11 3:59 PM who No place like Holts Hang on to your ruby slippers. Alix Box, SVP of sales and marketing, is attempting to duplicate Holt Renfrew’s record sales year with an increased focus on in-store adventure

BY MELINDA MATTOS

The shop windows at Holt Renfrew trumpet “There’s no place like Holts.” For Alix Box, SVP of sales and marketing, this new brand positioning is more than just a tagline – it’s a call to action. Last year was a record-breaker for the privately held retailer, with sales reported to be up 10% from 2009 (Holt Renfrew confi rms “double digit increases” but won’t comment on specifi cs). Bio Box says the company anticipates even stronger growth in 2011, with gains expected in both sales Born: Winnipeg, MB., Nov. 20, 1959 and profi ts. But to keep this momentum going Education: Box completed a BA, followed by a – especially as U.S. competitors like Intermix Bachelor of Education, at Queen’s University, and creep across the border and The Bay takes aim at originally planned to become a teacher. affl uent shoppers – differentiation is key. Career: From 1997 to 2007, Box was the For Holt Renfrew, this means offering an in-store VP of operations for Starbucks in Canada. experience that can’t be found elsewhere, complete She joined Holt Renfrew as SVP of sales and with exclusive product lines, talk-of-the-town events operations in 2007, expanding her remit to (like Jean Paul Gaultier’s fi rst Canadian appearance, SVP of sales and marketing in 2010. which happened in June) and a dash of star Size of team: She oversees 50 people altogether, treatment for everyone who walks in the door. including a marketing department of 25. “There’s no place like Holts” captures what the brand’s most active customers say about the store, Box explains. Developed and executed with Capital C in Toronto, the positioning launched this president in January 2010, Box says there’s been an summer via store signage and windows, and will increased focus on making customers feel at ease. become more visible throughout the fall. For instance, name badges were introduced Right: Holt Renfrew’s window “It’s a great way of demonstrating the emotional last year, which Box says is “a small mechanism, displays hint at the whimsy connection we have with our customers,” Box but [one that] goes a long way to breaking down that awaits inside. says. “At the same time, it sends a really warm that barrier.” and welcoming invite to those who might not visit “There’s also a sensory piece,” she continues. “Do us as often.” I see someone demo-ing fragrance? Is there a chair Warm and welcoming may not be the fi rst at the Bobbi Brown counter with a customer in it, words that jump to mind when consumers think and a makeup artist making them feel great? Are about the 11-store luxury retailer – at least not for the sales associates being attentive?” those without a trust fund – but ever since former The in-store music mix has been tweaked, Canadian Tire exec Mark Derbyshire took over as too, replacing stuffy instrumentals with more

48 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

Who.Oct11.indd 48 21/09/11 5:39 PM The Globe and Mail presents the PREMIERE SCREENING of the 2011 Cannes Lions Advertising Film Reel

Join The Globe and Mail and Paul Lavoie, one of Canada’s most influential advertising creatives, for Toronto’s premiere screening of the world’s best commercials. Entertaining, provocative and often humorous – see how these ads push today’s boundaries and set new ones for tomorrow’s advertisers. Come out and help celebrate Canada’s award-winning status in this elite group.

Purchase tickets at cannesscreening.eventbrite.com

For more information about our upcoming screenings, visit GlobeLink.ca/cannesscreenings Date: October 13, 2011

Time: Cocktails at 5:30 p.m. Screening begins at 6:15 p.m.

Location: Eglinton Grand Theatre, 400 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto

Tickets are $35, which includes one drink ticket and hors d’oeuvres.

The Globe and Mail is proud to support The Friends of NABS who

contemporary tunes, which Box says has been a hit with customers and staff alike. There’s also been an increased emphasis on in-store animations, ranging from a self-serve candy cupboard to real-life cupids strolling the shop fl oor on Valentine’s Day – efforts that don’t contribute directly to the bottom line, but make the store a more exciting place to shop. “We’re not a department store, we’re a specialty store and we offer unique experiences –I call it the treasure hunt,” Box says. “Our customers are very cosmopolitan, they shop abroad, and yet there’s that relationship that brings them back to Holts.” With the holiday season just around the corner, Holt Renfrew is preparing to ramp up its in-store antics even more. The holidays are key for any retailer, and Box says the season typically accounts Above: Holt Renfrew’s Montreal store hosted designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s first Canadian appearance in June. for 30% of store sales. Below: The store’s style guide comes out six times a year, with a print run of 500,000 each time. “The holiday season really helped catapult us to having a record year [in 2010],” she says. “We hit our targets a full month before the year ended.” social aspect of the season, with choirs singing “Our customers have said they want to engage Last year’s “Happy Christmas” was also the and pianists stationed at grand pianos. with us that way,” Box says, noting that a blog will store’s fi rst fully integrated marketing campaign, This year’s campaign promises “Happy Christmas help them reach style-savvy shoppers who may which was recognized by a Retail Council of on steroids,” according to Box, with more in-store not have tried Holts yet. Canada award for its strong and consistent activity, a thicker holiday style guide (with 120 more The brand has recently added a social media message across print, online, PR and in store. gift items than last year) and pop-up shops from content manager to its digital team, who will help Campaign creative played up the excitement of Paul Smith and Burberry. build up the blog. receiving a gift in Holt Renfrew’s iconic magenta For the fi rst time in the retailer’s history, Holt Talking to more of the store’s customer base more box, while the store environment tapped into the Renfrew’s famous magenta bag will be emblazoned often, across all touchpoints, is a priority for Box. with a holiday message. A more eco-friendly, fully To this end, the frequency of the e-newsletter recyclable version of the bag will also be introduced has been increased to twice a week, segmented in late fall. (The current version is recyclable only based on gender, product availability and once the cord handles have been removed.) relevance to the particular market. This fall has also seen the retailer launch a The approach to print has also been refi ned. In charitable partnership with Michael Kors, selling previous years, the store sent out luxe coffee table 10,000 leopard-print cashmere scarves for $50, books twice a year, reaching an audience of 50,000 with proceeds going to the Canadian Breast each time. Now they’ve switched to style guides, Cancer Foundation. Holts previously partnered issued six times a year, with a print run of 500,000. with Marc by Marc Jacobs and Canada Goose on The results so far have been promising. “We’re similar programs. seeing lapsed customers return, we’re seeing The $50 price point and charitable focus make customers come in more often, and at the same the scarf an ideal welcome item for new customers, time our high-value customers are coming even Box says. Launched in mid-September, it was more often,” she says. available for purchase online a week and a half It’s worth noting that the boost in store sales and before hitting stores, with Facebook and Twitter as visits has come alongside a management decision they key channels for getting the word out. to do away with discount pricing. While Holt Renfrew’s interest in the digital “We became less promotional and drove more world is growing, it isn’t new. In 2009, the retailer full-price sales by creating other compelling paid tribute to fashion bloggers from around the reasons for customers to visit the stores so we can globe (including Toronto’s own Anita Clarke) with make them feel great and look good,” Box explains. national window displays, and hosted a visit from The management team has put together a fashion photographer and blogger Scott Schuman, fi ve-year plan, she says, and so far it appears to be the man behind TheSartorialist.com. working. But the real challenge will be maintaining Now the store is preparing to unveil its very own that growth. fashion blogger, a strategy that’s been developed “[You have to be] bigger and better every year,” in consultation with Capital C and will call upon Box says. “That’s the game in retail, you always have the strengths of digital agency Nurun. The blog will to lap yourself, and fi gure out how to do more. I’ve debut during the holiday season, with tips on party always lived under the mantra, ‘Success breeds hosting and what to wear, as well as gift ideas. success.’ It really inspires people to do even better.”

50 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

Who.Oct11.indd 50 21/09/11 5:36 PM MARKETING RESEARCH & ANALYTICS SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT Insight drives innovation. In this ultra-competitive business environment the formulation of unique insights about customer behaviours, characteristics and motivations can be a crucial source of advantage.

Strategy’s November supplement delves into the most recent innovations in Marketing Research & Analytics affecting the Canadian marketplace. If you are a marketing research company or provide analytics solutions through professional services or software, then you won’t want to miss this once-a-year opportunity to get in front of top decision-makers at Canada’s leading marketing organizations.

Strategy’s unique format will profi le your company alongside other leading fi rms in the industry and, through a detailed interview process, allow you to tell your company’s story to explain what differentiates you from the rest.

COMMITMENT DATE: OCTOBER 13

CONTACT RUSSELL GOLDSTEIN: [email protected] OR 416.408.2300 x700 deconstructed. ENTERPRISE’S NEW WAY GETS MIXED REVIEWS

BY JONATHAN PAUL OVERALL STRATEGY Bell: If the strategy was to differentiate itself, I’d argue that Enterprise missed Enterprise Rent-A-Car has released the mark. A quick visit to the Avis website reveals they are running a very similar campaign (“We’re in the business of treating people like people. Real renters, a new TV campaign centred on the real employees, real stories.”) with a series of commercials much like these new company’s values, which uses Canadian Enterprise spots. Cash: The Enterprise campaign has an aw-shucks, folksy appeal, which works employees to spread the word about the well. It’s a good fi t, given their personal service-based business. It stands out “Enterprise Way.” The campaign diverges in a market segment that’s saturated with price-driven, commodity-oriented ads. Changing their approach to focus on core values will resonate with consumers. from the company’s long-time tack of Using actual employees, who are delivering the message in an informal/approachable spotlighting its “we’ll pick you up” service, manner, will help foster trust and connection with the audience. which came to Canada when Enterprise CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS fi rst started advertising here in 2004. Bell: Aesthetically and tonally, these commercials are vastly superior Initially launched in the U.S., the new effort to previous campaigns run by aims to stand out in a category where Enterprise. They aren’t especially entertaining, but they do succeed customers see little difference between in painting the brand in an honest companies via its focus on values like and friendly light. However, the fi nal voiceover ruins the atmosphere – customer service and heritage. the delivery seems disingenuous. Two of eight American TV ads, developed Cash: Although there is plenty of strong messaging, the piece has the by St. Louis-based Cannonball, have been potential to run fl at rather quickly. re-shot using Canadian employees. “Pretty After you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Adding some humour or Simple” focuses on Enterprise’s efforts to focusing on the individual human treat people the way they want to be treated, experiences would help keep the campaign appealing over the long and “Listening” highlights how employees run. It might also be more impactful tailor customers’ experiences based on their with music that has a broader familiarity and perhaps something needs. Enterprise has also produced a spot a bit edgier, so that the softhearted on its sponsorship of the NHL, making for caring feel of the campaign doesn’t become too saturated. six in total (three English, three French). WHAT WOULD YOU DO? “We want to be very true to the brand and Bell: I think the American versions would have been effective if run in Canada as is (the Avis that’s the one thing, regardless of where you similarities not withstanding), and instead I would have put the production budget towards go, that’s the same,” says St. Louis-based updates on Enterprise.ca. Their current website contradicts the tone of these commercials, causing any newly created brand value to evaporate as visitors enter a dated, impersonal Jim Stoeppler, brand director, Enterprise. experience. The simple addition of lifestyle imagery and a link to the American commercials “Our goal is to elevate the brand and really would help construct a more cohesive brand platform. Cash: While it may be true that the experience Enterprise offers customers is universal, simply strive to make that emotional connection.” re-shooting the U.S. ads runs the risk of underestimating the Canadian identity. As Canadians, We asked Jeremy Bell, partner, Teehan+Lax, we don’t consider ourselves to be Americans, we never will. While I believe the campaign will be well received, I would feature well-known Canadian music and landmarks as well as re-shooting and Tammy Cash, director of marketing, with Canadian employees. Front Street Capital, whether Enterprise’s effort will hit the mark north of the border advertiser Enterprise Rent-A-Car; agency Cannonball, St. Louis; CCO/copywriter Steve Hunt; CD/AD Joe Bishop; producer Larry Israel and what they might have done differently.

52 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

Deconstructed.Oct11.indd 52 21/09/11 5:32 PM

[ CREATIVE AGENCIES ]

t’s no secret that today’s consumers are incredibly good at ignoring ads. They’re bombarded with marketing messages everywhere they turn, from banner ads on I their iPads to billboards jostling for their attention during their morning commutes. That’s why it’s more important than ever before for marketers to constantly strive to find new and innovative ways to connect with their target audiences. After all, if you don’t do something different, you’re just not going to get noticed. It’s as simple as that. To make matters even more challenging, marketing budgets are shrinking as media continues to become more and more fragmented. There are more places to be, with less money to get there with. Luckily, marketers aren’t in this battle alone. The country’s top ad agencies are on the case, too, cunningly crafting ways to get brands noticed in an overly saturated media landscape. This focus on breaking through the clutter has resulted in some pretty out there executions over the past year. BBDO created a TV channel devoted to chickens spinning temptingly on a Rotisserie. Lowe Roche managed to turn Petri dishes full of bacteria into a new ad medium. Crispin, Porter + Bogusky sent three students Raising the bar on an international “living experiment” armed only with their Windows-equipped PCs. Zulu Alpha Kilo’s Workopolis campaign is currently being discussed in Parliament. The Hive is putting consumers’ faces on Maynards candy. Juniper Park featured actual To participate in this supplement, agencies had to meet one or more of the Virgin Mobile customers to create truly authentic ads. Amuse following criteria: 1) it must have been shortlisted for the Agency of the Year competition in the past three years, or 2) placed in the top 20 of Strategy’s created a cathartic venting session for frazzled workers complete 2011 Creative Report Card (published in February 2011), or 3) won either the with a giant “boss” voodoo doll leading up to the Horrible Bosses Best of Show at the ACE Awards, Anvil Awards, Lotus Awards, Ice Awards or the theatrical release. And DDB partnered with Google Maps to Grand Prix Créa in the past two years. enable potential visitors to virtually explore Canuck destinations for the Canadian Tourism Commission. Many agencies are even finding new ways to overhaul the creative process itself. Case in point: Sid Lee, which ran an intensive boot camp for eight aspiring creative directors from around the world, culled from a pool of over 400 applications submitted via the shop’s Facebook page. Intrigued? You should be. Read on to see what else these incredibly innovative agencies have been up to this year.

S54 SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S54 22/09/11 5:34 PM [ CREATIVE AGENCIES ] Lowe Roche | Innovate or die

significantly boosted ticket sales to see the Zoo’s 12 endangered African penguins. Lowe and Partners recently acquired Montreal-based hot shop Amuse, merged it with Lowe Roche and named Amuse founder Ruffo CEO of both. While Lowe Roche continues to adapt and grow, its founding philosophy imparted by Geoffrey Roche remains intact. “The overall vision has always been focused on really strong strategy and creative that get results. That hasn’t changed,” says Ruffo. “What is changing is that Lowe Roche is now a more national agency with broader skill-sets. It’s an evolution.”

Just when you thought you’d come up with this truly rooted in a strong strategy. seen everything, Lowe Roche out-there idea? It all stems “We always ask how is this rolls out the world’s first from Lowe’s guiding mantra, going to get results, how bacterial billboard. The agency innovate or die. “The notion are we going to measure its concocted the novel new of innovate or die gives you success,” says Ruffo. medium comprised of bacteria a discipline,” explains Ruffo. One clear measure of and fungi in Petri dishes to “It forces the discussion and success is when consumers support the theatrical release always raises the bar.” flock to interact with your of the Warner Bros. pandemic Lowe had everyone talking brand. However, getting thriller Contagion. The mixture again when it stuck tiny people to give up their magically grew from being toy Audis onto lampposts precious time to engage with nearly invisible to spelling out and poles all over Toronto. a brand is tricky, to say the the name of the movie. Of course, it wasn’t simply least. That’s where a great (Left) Audi: Super-strong magnets attached to Lowe Roche posted a innovation for the sake idea that’s executed well 1/43 scale cars made Audi's point about quattro's time-elapsed video of the of it: the stunt reinforced can really make a difference, legendary grip. (Above) Contagion: The world's first billboard’s eerie growth one of Audi Quattro’s key such as Lowe’s impossibly bacterial billboard grew microbes over the course of online, and it quite fittingly differentiation points: its cute campaign for the Toronto the week to spell out the name - and dramatize the plot - of Steven Soderbergh's film, "Contagion." went viral. It even attracted all-wheel drive system never Zoo’s Penguins exhibit. media coverage by everyone slips, and thus nothing sticks Consumers were driven to from the Wall Street Journal quite like it. a microsite where they could Lowe Roche to the Today show, thanks to Fascinated passersby “Say it With Penguins.” Lowe Monica Ruffo the execution’s buzz factor. It couldn’t help but try to pry had created an entire typeface CEO was a risky move, but it was the cute little cars off of the out of clay-sculpted penguins, anchored by a solid strategy: poles. When they succeeded, enabling users to type in a 416-927-9794 to bring the movie’s essence they could see a sticker word or phrase that could be 260 Queen St. West, to life. “The creative should that said, “Nothing sticks translated into the penguin 3rd Floor, scare you a little if you want like Quattro” on the bottom typeface. The decidedly Toronto ON M5V 1Z8 to breakthrough,” says Monica of the replica. Once again, different idea resonated with www.loweroche.com Ruffo, CEO of Lowe Roche. it was a bold move, but it both children and adults [ ] So just how did the agency was carefully calculated and alike – no easy feat – and

S55

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S55 22/09/11 5:35 PM Atelier Amuse | People movers

ensured that everyone could enjoy ARTV-sponsored events, whether they had bought tickets or not. Over 30,000 people interacted with the ARTVscope at festivals, screenings and events, differentiating ARTV significantly from other sponsors. And, of course, the unique scope delivered on ARTV’s platform promise of bringing culture closer to people. Ruffo says there’s nothing mysterious about how Amuse consistently delivers breakthrough work. “At the end of the It’s hard to believe that could vent to during their making people happy, this day, when advertising is Atelier Amuse was founded lunch breaks in the heart of bold platform defies category magic it’s thanks to brilliant just three years ago. In that Montreal’s business district. conventions and further strategy, creative and client short amount of time, the Passersby were invited to stick differentiates the company participation,” she says. “You shop’s unwavering focus a giant pin in the doll while from its competitors. Amuse cannot do great creative on crafting meaningful sharing horror stories about developed a new brand without great clients.” connections between brands the worst bosses they’ve identity, including the new and consumers has helped ever had. The cathartic event name Fresche, to reinforce the it attract top-tier clients garnered significant earned positioning. “It is an assertive such as Warner Bros. and media – including coverage stance,” says Ruffo. “At the McGill University. No wonder on the evening news. More same time, it still has a creative powerhouse Lowe importantly, it resonated human, light-hearted feel.” Worldwide added Amuse with consumers on an Amuse’s focus on strategy to its international network emotional level. and meaningful connections earlier this year. This approach has worked helped it make a big impact Amuse founder and CEO well for Amuse’s B2B for client ARTV, a French Monica Ruffo attributes initiatives, too. Most recently, cultural TV station in Quebec (Left) ARTV: As of June 2010, the ARTVscope had the agency’s rapid rise to Amuse choreographed a whose platform is “bringing attended 6 arts and culture festivals, filmed 250 shows, its commitment to moving complete brand overhaul for culture closer to the people.” and given over 30,000 people a unique interactive people physically, socially an IT company that was rooted Amuse identified that there experience. (Above) Horrible Bosses: Frustrated workers and emotionally. “Being in an emotional connection. was a disconnect between the were invited to take it out on a life-sized voodoo doll of meaningful is the only way The company, formerly called platform how people actually their boss to promote the film, "Horrible Bosses." you can reach people,” she Speedware, boasts an unheard perceived ARTV, which was as says. For instance, Amuse of 100% referenceability rate, too highbrow. To remedy this, recently leveraged the visceral meaning every last one of its Amuse brought the platform Atelier Amuse feelings many people have clients would happily refer it to life in a tangible way by Selma Filali about their less-than-stellar to others. developing a giant interactive SVP & Managing Director bosses leading up to the July With this nugget in mind, telescope called the ARTVscope 514-844-0012, ext. 226 release of the Warner Bros. Amuse came up with the that could be placed outside movie Horrible Bosses. overarching platform “IT Can of the various ticketed 342 Victoria Ave, The agency created an Make You Smile.” Since the IT events ARTV was sponsoring Montreal, QC H3Z 2M8 imposing Horrible Bosses category is better known for throughout Montreal. www.atelieramuse.com Voodoll Doll that workers putting out fires than actually This clever installation [ ]

S56 SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S56 22/09/11 5:35 PM [ CREATIVE AGENCIES ] BBDO | The work speaks for itself

level by inviting consumers to create the last 20 seconds of the Doritos 60-second Superbowl spot. It attracted over 30,000 entries that were viewed by hundreds of thousands of consumers, far exceeding the initial goal of 6,000 entrants. BBDO fuels its commitment to innovation with its biweekly Digital Labs, where speakers from everywhere from Google to production companies come in to bring BBDO staffers up to speed on the latest developments. The labs are yet another instrument in BBDO’s arsenal of proprietary tools Who knew people would longer about advertising of innovation. They deliver and processes that help the flock to a TV station that the old-fashioned way,” results. The Rotisserie Channel agency consistently deliver broadcast nothing but juicy says Moreno. exceeded the client’s initial outstanding results. After all, chickens rotating enticingly A large part of BBDO’s goal by 326%, and the everything it does is focused on a rotisserie? BBDO ability to unearth valuable effort won a Silver Media on three things: The Work, The Canada, evidently. The actionable insights and Lion at this year’s Cannes Work, The Work. agency’s extensive insight media agnostic executions Advertising Festival. work revealed that Swiss that break through can be BBDO was busy picking up Chalet customers couldn’t attributed to its signature awards in Cannes this year; its get enough of the sight of TotalWork process. It stems interactive videos for Skittles their delicious chickens slowly from the agency’s overarching won Gold Cyber and Film cooking to perfection. With mantra “The Work, The Work, Lions. The online videos invited that in mind, BBDO waded The Work,” and immerses consumers to touch their into uncharted territory an interdisciplinary team in screens. Even though it didn’t by debuting the Rotisserie identifying and exploring the leverage touch technology, Channel, modeled after the client’s key business problem. a cat appeared and virtually innocuous fireplace channel “Our TotalWork process is licked their fingers, resulting in that’s inescapable during intensive. It makes sure we a highly engaging experience (Left) Swiss Chalet Rotisserie Channel. (Above) Christmastime. dive fully into a business that complemented the quirky Skittles - Cat. One of several viral Skittles videos. It was a bold move, but it problem,” says Moreno. American-made “Touch paid off in spades. “The PR “There’s a lot of the Rainbow” TV spots. story was unbelievable. By cross-pollination.” Consumers certainly responded 10am on the day we launched, The TotalWork process is to the bizarre videos: they it was the second most trending time-consuming, but it works. achieved over five million BBDO Canada topic on Twitter,” says Carlos “Starting with the business views in one moth. Paul Reilly Moreno, BBDO Toronto’s SVP/ problem sets the creative Encouraging consumer SVP/ Executive Managing ECD. This kind of nontraditional team up for success,” says participation has also Director solution characterizes BBDO’s Timothy Welsh, SVP, Creative contributed to BBDO’s hugely 416-944-7894 commitment to eschewing Operations Officer at BBDO successful Doritos campaigns the safe route in favour of Toronto. It also ensures that over the years. This year, 3200 – 2 Bloor St. West, innovative work that breaks BBDO’s solutions aren’t BBDO elevated the user- Toronto M4W 3R6 through the clutter. “It’s no innovative just for the sake generated concept to the next [ www.bbdo.ca ]

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S57 23/09/11 3:16 PM The Hive | Inventing what's right

The unscripted webisodes featured NASCAR racer Patrick Carpentier, and lived on the NOS Facebook page. Leveraging social media instead of traditional helped The Hive keep media costs low and the production value high. As diverse as The Hive’s work is, it all shares one very important thing in common. “It really does come down to invent what’s right,” says Creet. “What’s right for the consumer, right for the time, and, of course, right for the client.”

Most agencies don’t have on a standard media plan. Hive revitalize Caramilk’s a full-time travel agent This philosophy has indeed legendary advertising and music director on staff, taken the agency down some platform. “The Caramilk and that’s just one of the pretty inventive paths, from Secret is this iconic campaign many reasons why The Hive multi-city music tours to that’s been around for over isn’t like most agencies. It changing the face of a client’s 40 years,” says Creet. “We launched 17 years ago as an product (quite literally). wanted to make it tangible.” experiential shop, and has The latter refers to The Last year, The Hive introduced steadily evolved into a full- Hive’s current Maynards the “Key to the Secret” service, integrated creative campaign, “Make Your Face campaign, which invited agency. And when they say a Maynards,” which will consumers to search for one full-service, they mean culminate in a consumer’s of ten keys hidden inside (Left) Maynards is going to make one lucky it, thanks to its unique face appearing on the candy Caramilk bars. The effort was Canadian into a candy that will be sold blend of skill sets ranging itself. The Hive came up with a huge success, and this year everywhere. How sweet is that? (Above) Caramilk from strategic planning to this rather out-there idea The Hive took it to the next television featured ordinary chocolate lovers social media amplification about a year and a half ago, level by integrating more searching for their golden key. to event activation and and kept it in its back pocket user-generated initiatives. everything in between. until the stars aligned, and it For instance, some of the “We’re able to execute became the right time to roll TV spots feature videos campaign ideas wherever it out. “That was one of those by real customers filming they go,” says Simon Creet, extra ideas that eventually themselves unwrapping their The Hive’s VP/ Chief Creative became real,” Creet explains. Caramilk bars. Officer. “When you’re “More and more it comes The Hive put consumers The Hive inventing solutions and down to brands doing things in the driver’s seat again Trent Fulton solving for needs, you never instead of saying things.” for NOS Energy Drink, for VP / Client Services know where you’re going Clearly the approach is which it created a series of 416-923-3800 to go.” The agency’s mantra, working; at press time, the interactive videos. “People are 544 King St. West, Invent What’s Right, is contest’s Facebook page had so used to having control of rooted in the belief that each attracted almost 90,000 fans. their digital world, we wanted Toronto ON M5V 1M3 execution has to address a Crafting tangible to create this film experience www.thehiveinc.com specific business need instead connections to obscure they could navigate on [ ] of simply filling in the blanks concepts has also helped The their own,” says Creet.

S58 SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S58 22/09/11 5:36 PM [ CREATIVE AGENCIES ] CP+B | Brand role modelers

they were only with their now, CP+B has arguably Windows-equipped PC, and come as close as possible to had to use the PC’s programs creating a “living, breathing and harness social media to travel guidebook” of Canada’s satisfy the necessities of life, culture and business centre. including finding places to “Previously, you had sleep and to eat cheaply. (The guidebooks telling you company kept an eye on the about the city,” says Michael participants, “from afar,” to Murray, Creative Director, “but ensure their safety). if you’re going to actually It garnered a lot of viral convince someone that it’s interest, as well as carriage a really dynamic, happening by mainstream media such as city, a real way of doing that TV current-event programs. is through social media.” “And we were able to achieve the business results; that was simply because we made the brand famous,” says Brown. Another equally attention- catching campaign was for the Red Leaf Project for Molson Canadian, which blended beer and doing good. A concert series, where the only way to get VIP tickets was to participate in a tree- (Left) Microsoft: A living experiment to prove that planting initiative, was the you could survive with just your Windows PC. core of the idea. The multi- (Above) Tourism Toronto: Toronto Trending: Pulls in Crispin Porter + Bogusky conversation that is modern faceted campaign allowed tweets to create a real time guide to Toronto. believes in tapping into the culture via marketing ideas Molson Canadian drinkers to power of activist-consumers, that are so inherently participate in tree planting that legion of product loyalists compelling they can take initiatives or to support them who have an abiding faith on lives of their own. As VP via an online game—the in their chosen brands. For and Director of Business and more drinkers clicked, the this coveted demographic, Cultural Insights Sub Nijjar more trees that were planted. brands are like muses, things observers “these ideas are the By September, more than they talk and blog about with opportunities in culture that 100,000 new trees were in passion, explore like scientists you can leverage to create the ground. and amass like collectors; that conversation.” “Beer culture is all about these consumers are in no CP+B leveraged just such partying, so with the Red way passive recipients of an opportunity to create Leaf Project we turned Crispin Porter + Bogusky advertising messages. a conversation among that into partying with a CP+B sums up that university-age Canadians with purpose,” observes Aaron Shelley Brown coveted social standing for a its Do or Die campaign for Starkman, VP and Executive President & CEO brand as fame. “Our mission Microsoft Windows. Darren Creative Director. 416-598-4944 as an agency,” says president Richardson, Creative Director, With Torontotrending. 296 Richmond St. West, and CEO Shelley Brown, “is to explains it was a “living com, a website for Toronto Toronto, ON M5V 1X2 make brands famous.” experiment” in which three Tourism that leverages Twitter The Toronto agency does students were sent to live to simultaneously present www.cpbgroup.com/canada that by craftily inserting for 10 days in destinations what residents are thinking [ ] brands into the mass around the world. Crucially, and doing in the city, right

S59

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S59 22/09/11 5:36 PM Sid Lee | Re-booting the creative process

so successful without its business-side being first rate. Its planners employ a “star” system to keep projects on track, and they are around the table from the first day. At Sid Lee, said Meunier, “there is no such thing as ‘here is the brief and I’ll see you in two weeks to see if the work is good.’” Indeed, he continues, the planning is the company’s strong suit.

Here, in a nutshell, is what Sid Lee’s work with uber-cool consumer products). makes Sid Lee stand out in Videotron is one of the The crew’s deliverable? the advertising marketplace; standouts of this approach Project the consumer’s it’s a creative brain trust over the last two years. From experience of Fatboy®’s that likes to tear down the the in-store experience, to the brand over the next 10 years. metaphorical walls that can advertising, to the interactive The team, culled from fracture a brand’s identity, and social media components, the most talented of over even as it likes to oversee the to the phone interface 400-applicants (who construction of the retail walls and the mobile channel, submitted their books via Sid of those very same brands. everything was rooted into Lee’s Facebook fan page), (Left) Sid Lee Collective Boot Campers go over This is more than just a one creative director. consisted of creators from their final presentation with Creative Chief Philippe witticism: It’s all part and Key to Sid Lee’s formula places as diverse as Belgium, Meunier. (Above) Multimedia LED video screen parcel of the company’s is its creative talent, and on Vietnam, Sweden and the staircase welcomes people into the Videotron unique, multidisciplinary that front the company has United States. And the results Flagship store – designed by Sid Lee Architecture approach to servicing its struck upon a truly boundary were extraordinary. & Sid Lee. client’s needs. destroying idea. In an age In the end, Fatboy® Indeed, it’s inclusion of when the user-experience is executives liked what they architectural design as a everything, and brands are saw and committed to some pillar of its offerings is one increasingly region-agnostic, of what was pitched. of its most head-catching why not recruit the world’s While the June iteration was elements. Creative Chief best creative types with an admittedly part laboratory, Philippe Meunier observes event geared at pushing Sid Lee is making mini-boot it only makes sense: the them beyond their camps a regular part of its in-store vibe, into which imaginative limits? creative process, “because it’s Sid Lee a customer becomes Behold, the Sid Lee Boot a good way of doing a ‘deep Philippe Meunier immersed upon entering, is Camp: Held for the first time dive’ into the brand, and Creative Chief absolutely central to telling a last June, the creative boot attracting amazing 514-282-2200 consumer brand’s story; it’s camp involved eight aspiring talent from around the 1400 - 75 Queen St of paramount importance in creatives, from around the world,” said Meunier. this post-Internet era when world, working 24-hours-a- As much as Sid Lee Montreal QC H3C 2N6 consumers are using portable day, honed in on one project likes to be an iconoclastic www.sidlee.com technologies as part of, well, (in this case, Amsterdam- organization, the agency [ ] their portable lives. based Fatboy®, maker of fully admits it couldn’t be

S60 SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S60 22/09/11 5:38 PM [ CREATIVE AGENCIES ] DDB | Always pushing the creative envelope

helped elevate Canada to such as director of digital being named the number one strategy Nikolas Badminton, brand country in the world on senior planning director FutureBrand’s Country Brand Natalie Godfrey and director Index. Not bad for a country of branding and design Chris that was ranked 12th a few Dallin in Vancouver and Jason short years ago. Dubroy with the launch of DDB has also helped Shopper DDB in Toronto. Subaru considerably elevate its DDB makes sure its brand cachet and significantly talent isn’t kept in silos, and increase sales. Most recently, continues to work its “one DDB’s innovative flipbook brand, one hallway” approach campaign for the Subaru WRX that ensures the right people boosted sales by a staggering are working on the right 126% during the campaign brands, regardless of which period. The flipbook concept department or office they’re helped bring the “Pure in. It’s not unusual to have Performance” platform to life people from the Vancouver and by showcasing the car’s speed, Toronto offices collaborating agility and raw power without on a project. “The work is violating any ASC guidelines. there for all to contribute,” The core target of performance says Leonard. “There is enough car enthusiasts clearly loved evidence to prove that if the novel approach, as you have the right people, evidenced by the 750,000+ the right culture and great page views the campaign’s collaboration, you can achieve online video elements have miraculous things.” achieved to date. DDB Canada didn’t become and a research partner on DDB created another one of the most consistently a new project designed to successful follow-up celebrated creative agencies prove the worth of what campaign for Toronto in the country by accident. The they call ShareValue creative Crime Stoppers earlier this shop has carefully cultivated platforms. “Once new metrics year, which focused on a unique culture where its and measurements are boosting anonymous tips talent is given the most developed, we’ll have case with a powerful concept important thing it needs to proof and empirical evidence that portrayed anonymous (Left) Compelling creative demonstrates that giving come up with brave, game- that proves the business witnesses turning the tables tips to Crime Stoppers helps expose criminals. changing ideas – the freedom contribution of our creative on criminals. The tactic (Above) DDB created a real flipbook that comes to to fail. After all, playing it safe ideas,” explains Leonard. worked, resulting in a 33% life when the Subaru WRX passes by. rarely leads to breakthrough In the meantime, DDB’s increase in tips over the work. “You can’t be afraid to game-changing work for previous year, with arrests up shake things up,” says David brands like Subaru and the by 26%. DDB Canada Leonard, president & COO of Canadian Tourism Commission A big part of DDB’s ability to DDB Canada. “That’s what (CTC) provides some pretty come up with game-changing David Leonard keeps us nimble and more compelling evidence that ideas like these involves having President & COO street-smart than any other taking smart risks can reap the right people in place, and 416-925-9819 multinational brand.” big rewards. Groundbreaking then giving them the freedom 1700 – 33 Bloor St. East In some cases, brands can’t tactics like virtually to experiment. “We’re looking Toronto, ON M4W 3T4 afford to not take risks if they transporting potential visitors for instigators,” says Leonard. www.ddbcanada.com want to achieve dramatic to Canadian destinations The agency is constantly results. That’s why DDB has through Google Maps and boosting its roster of top-tier [ ] partnered with a university Street View technologies have talent, including recent hires

S61

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S61 23/09/11 3:02 PM Zulu Alpha Kilo | Fiercely creative, refreshingly agile

of Zulu’s success has been its discerning approach to partnering with clients who share the same philosophy and values. “It’s essential that we’re truly passionate about the brand and love the people we’re going to be working with,” says Mroueh, adding that since Zulu is independent it has the freedom to grow at its own pace. “If the motivation is solely your agency’s bottom line, the lack of passion will eventually show through in the relationship and the work.” That level of freedom enables Zulu to do a project When Zulu Alpha Kilo quietly Success hasn’t changed as well as the paint-covered for the greater good each opened its doors in 2008, the the tight-knit agency’s shoes were leveraged as year, such as the recent shop introduced itself to the founding philosophy. Zulu in-store displays, ensuring this People for Good initiative. The world with an impossible- still doesn’t have any execution lived on well after campaign encouraging people to-miss installation called departments – or walls, THINK (thinkinginsidethebox. for that matter. Whether ca), which offered passersby it’s creating a phone app, a taste of the agency’s website, or an experiential signature interdisciplinary event, Zulu believes strategy, problem-solving process. This account service, and digital brought the agency’s essence thinking should be part of one to life in a way that a simple seamless collective. announcement never could. According to Zulu founder the billboard came down. to do good deeds has been The People for Good Interestingly enough, THINK Zak Mroueh, “Collaboration is Zulu’s focus on extending incredibly well-received, once movement launched on wasn’t Zulu’s first project. the most over-used word in the life and value of again proving the June 29 across Canada Before officially opening its the industry today. Everyone everything it does ultimately power of the collective. As through a bold, multi- doors, it was already fielding says it. Few live it. Zulu’s helped a campaign it Mroueh says, “The world media campaign. calls from some of Canada’s process ensures clients are developed for Workopolis land could use more creativity biggest brands. Zulu hit highly-engaged partners on the agenda in Parliament. right about now.” the ground running with a in both the strategic and When Zulu was tasked with weighty first assignment that creative development.” boosting the Workopolis social much bigger agencies were When an engaged client media presence, it created a clamoring for: developing a like PUMA asked Zulu to movement that people could new brand platform for Bell. create a billboard for its rally around on the Workopolis Zulu Alpha Kilo Since then, Zulu’s strategic Mostro shoes, the agency Facebook page by proposing Zak Mroueh and agile approach has came back with an immersive a National Work from Home President & made it a creative force to event that invited consumers Day. The response has been so Creative Director be reckoned with, racking up to actually help create the enthusiastic, an MP is trying 416-777-ZULU (9858) accolades from across the billboard themselves by to make it official. “When was 260 King St. East, Suite B101, globe and business from the putting on Mostros, stepping the last time a campaign was Toronto ON M5A 4L5 likes of Coca-Cola, which in paint and strutting their talked about in Parliament?” www.zulualphakilo.com consolidated all of its brands stuff across the billboard asks Mroueh. [ ] with Zulu last year. canvas. Videos of the event One of the vital components

S62 SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S62 22/09/11 5:38 PM [ CREATIVE AGENCIES ] Juniper Park | Making brands matter

insight driving its work is the recognized by the Cassies agency’s recent campaign and Effies as well as One for Quaker Canada. “ ‘A good Show Interactive and the breakfast fuels what you Clios. “It always surprises accomplish in your day’ is me how agencies pigeon a powerful truth,” continues hole themselves as either Quinn. “We built everything a ‘strategic’ power or a around that point, right ‘creative’ power,” says agency through to their incredible president, Jill Nykoliation, “We ‘cause’ efforts.” are both.” In an industry where “insight” and “authenticity” are used frequently, what is different about Juniper Park is the process it uses to create brands that stand apart from the rest. “We start at the end,” claims Madill, “we imagine the brand as we want it to be in its future state, and then we work backwards from there— crafting the strategy, story, imagery, product, and packaging. To truly build brands today, you need In a landscape of a million let the cameras roll,” says to wire all of it together brands, how do you make Drummond. “Our campaign like that.” yours stand out? Better is made up of imagery That “backwards” approach yet, how do you make it of our target in their is a method that is working impossible to ignore? These natural habitat.” very well for the four-year-old (Left) An arresting poster for Canadian Journalists are the questions asked The result was a campaign agency. Recently, Juniper Park For Free Expression (CJFE) highlights the fact that and answered everyday at that genuinely embodied the added a slew of new clients when journalists are attacked, truth and freedom Juniper Park. youthful spirit of the brand. to its roster. The list includes, of expression are attacked as well. (Above) Quaker “These days, brands have “The work looks and feels in no particular order, Ontario Canada's Facebook fans were challenged to to be completely and totally right because it is 100% Toyota Dealers, Delta Hotels, design an oatmeal bowl. For every bowl created, a authentic,” explains company authentic,” adds Alan Madill, Corus Media and Ontario breakfast was donated to Food Banks Canada. Executive Creative Director, another one of Juniper Park’s Electronic Stewardship, and Terry Drummond. “When we Executive Creative Directors. a global assignment for the launched the ‘Members Get’ One of the defining traits juice brand Tropicana. With platform for Virgin Mobile, of a Juniper Park campaign this list in mind, it is easy to for example, we didn’t use is how beautifully seamless it see why the office is a hive of Juniper Park models for our print and out- is. Regardless of medium, the activity these days. Jill Nykoliation of-home work. We recruited feeling of each brand is kept As impressive as the President actual people that go out incredibly consistent. “When new business wins are, 416-413-7301 every night and live it up you start with a razor sharp the agency continues its 360 Adelaide St. W in bars and nightclubs— insight, it can drive every impressive showing on the people who lived the ‘Virgin’ aspect of the brand,” says awards circuit, in both the Toronto, ON. M5V 1R7 lifestyle. Then, we threw Barry Quinn, Juniper Park’s business building and creative www.juniperpark.com a party for them and let Design Leader. excellence categories. In the [ ] them be themselves, then A good example of a great past year it has again been

S63

ST.20128.CreativeAgencies.indd S63 22/09/11 5:38 PM BY ROB LINDEN RECALL DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN. REMEMBER THAT!

This semi-regular column by a former P&Ger is focused on helping improve ROI. It’s designed to revisit old tactics, hone new ones and take a moment to ask if we’re spending marketing dollars and delivering campaign ideas in the right way.

Do you remember the last ad you saw? Do you remember Year nominations, it struck me 2. Differentiate what it was for? that most of them have not Humour, insights and emotion should be No? I’m not surprised. forgotten recall. For Ikea, using “wrapped” in the brand or triggered by While clutter may cause some of that, the reason that Swedish guy was some the brand in a distinct, ownable way. To be you probably don’t remember is because an advertiser good common sense – let’s see persuaded, consumers need a compelling somewhere forgot the basic rule of recall. where things head now. In RBC’s reason to consider your brand. I’d suggest we all take a look at our communications to case, I’m starting to recognize see if we have forgotten recall. Our businesses depend that little man with the hat, 3. Integrate on it. Consumers who do not remember can’t buy. And which is step one. The best working ads often connect key marketers who forget to think about it when designing And Cadbury, well, who doesn’t elements of story, message and brand so communications are bound to waste a whole lot of money. remember the Caramilk secret? they are inseparable. Ask yourself, can this This is not a new problem, it has been around for a long Instant awareness elevation story happen without the brand? If so, you time. But I’d argue that recently it has gotten worse due to and nostalgia. They could have are in trouble. the fragmentation of media channels, recession-busting started from scratch, and spent promotions (who doesn’t like a BOGO?) and a lack of years trying to re-entrench, but 4. Keep it simple adherence to basic rules of communication. they chose wisely, and began Consumers say this all the time – they do The good news? This is an easy one to fi x. from a solid point of foundation not want to work too hard to understand Recall is the key ingredient so many ads and consumer remembrance. your ad. lack. In fact, I would say that recall is just as The marketer in me important as persuasion, if not more. When wanted some data, Ensuring your ads have recall is not that consumers remember, the chances of so I spoke with hard, you just need to remember it at the them buying are drastically increased. Catherine Yuile, briefi ng and execution stage. Whether It’s the basic law of simplicity and VP at Ipsos ASI it be a sound or jingle, a colour brought categorization. Every. Single. Time. (they test more to life not just in your logo but throughout Let’s give this a try: which advertising than your creative, a mascot, a phrase or an SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT THINK TO SOMETHING Canadian bank is the green one? anybody). She said that ownable scenario, it’s more important that Which one tells you that “you’re richer than advertisers are often many of us think. you think”? Which toilet paper brand uses shocked to learn that Adhere to it like your brand logo. In fact, the cha-cha-cha bear? of those who can recall once decided, your recall tool should be Let’s look at another one. We all know an ad, almost half don’t know a mandatory element no different which brand El Tabador promotes. And Koodo is doing well what brand it was for. Pointing than your colour palette or pack shot. with this campaign. But I would say that El Tab probably out that it’s an expensive lost Remember that. doesn’t persuade anybody. What this character does is opportunity, Yuile shared four help you remember a brand when faced with an onslaught key insights to help your ad and Rob Linden has a passion for ROI. He spent of “me too” offers. And El Tabador’s yelling and tights have brand get recalled in-market quite a few years at P&G, most recently leading become very familiar. (based on Ipsos ASI’s database). their scale/capabilities department, and is Herein lies the art and science of recall. now heading up SampleSource.com, an online Conversely, it is no coincidence that you don’t remember 1. Be relevant request-based sampling tool for CPGs of all which brand of toothpaste used a dentist to endorse it. Recalled ads are often ones sizes. Reach him at [email protected] or Or which shampoo had the great looking model shots. Or where viewers have personally follow him on Twitter @LindenRob. which car had the ad with the guy driving the tight turns identifi ed with the characters or around the mountain with the top down and his hair blowing situation, and then associated Catherine Yuile is VP at Ipsos ASI. Contact in the wind. But you do remember “Zoom Zoom.” that experience with the brand. her at [email protected] or follow As I looked at the shortlist for this year’s Brand of the @cyuile on Twitter.

64 www.strategyonline.ca

Forum.Oct11.indd 64 21/09/11 5:34 PM forum.

BY CHRIS CHAN GETTING ALONG WITH PRIVATE LABEL

Can national and retailer brands live in harmony? If you no missing the quick-cleaning and multi-brand ideas. The beauty of these VIEW FROM ABROAD haven’t thought of your brand as being in a relationship aisle. Retailers benefi ted with is that they serve consumers with a one-stop with the retailer’s, I hope this article acts as a “Dear Abby” PL sales, but Swiffer has grown shop; “all you need to look glamorous on a on how to make it work, because, like it or not, you said “I disproportionately (upwards Friday night” in one display. One idea, multiple do” the day you got on the shelf. of 20%) and the retailer would category purchases. I work in Europe, which has the oldest, and therefore most never have grown the category But why invent a big idea when your developed, retailer environment in the world. What happens without Swiffer’s innovation. retailer already has events they want to here often trickles down to other markets, which is why drive? In the U.K., Asda has an annual Canada has always looked to Europe for “what’s next.” Trade up: the number of in-store charity program called Tickled You’ve no doubt heard of European retailer consolidation shoppers your idea trades up Pink, with proceeds going to breast cancer and higher trade margins, but another prevalent dynamic to premium research. By simply designing a promotional is private label (PL) development. In Canada, marketers This is the classic innovation pink SKU across a portfolio of products, you often focus on the branded battlefi eld. In Europe, PL strategy. In any category, there create a meaningful lineup for the retailer is so developed, marketers design initiatives with PL in are consumers who want and secure prime-time in-store display, mind. How will we price against them? What is the value multiple benefi ts and are willing driving cross-category purchase. proposition to communicate in-store? How do we respond to pay a premium: anti-bacterial to copycat innovation? and moisturizing hand soap; low- So how do you quantify the actual size of How did it get this way in Europe? In extreme cases, there fat and organic salad dressing. category growth behind these strategies? are retailers (not limited to discounters) who carry mostly The bonus here is that your base Work with your market research and sales PL and often only one national brand per category, such lineup now plays a critical role teams and use a combination of volume as Migros in Switzerland. In Spain, the biggest retailer, in taking the consumers who forecasting tools like BASES to estimate Mercadona, has cultivated a love mark, Bosque Verde, with a traded in and trading them up. the incrementality of any idea, household brand equity consumers love and trust. Their market position It’s unlikely the retailer will play panel data (penetration, repeat, purchase isn’t the traditional “for shoppers who can’t afford national this strategy and carry a base frequency) and, of course, your retail price. brands,” rather, their positioning is “for smart shoppers who and premium offering in the Yes, this marriage is a tough one, but if aren’t fooled by the fl uffy marketing of national brands.” On same label, but if PL does copy you can show the retailer why your brand top of that, the recession has made consumers more value innovation in your category, then can uniquely generate trade in, up and conscious. Instead of feeling guilty for buying PL, shoppers your job is tougher, and you need across on your next idea, you should be now feel proud for making the “smart choice.” to stay ahead. able to get their support and a raison d’être Could Mercadona be a crystal ball for Canada? If so, what In the surface cleaning on top of their PL. is your retail strategy? One approach is a simple three- category, Flash, a U.K. brand point MO – trade in, trade up, trade across – to create that sold wipes, took a portfolio incremental customer value on a category level. Sell your approach to grow the category next idea with any combination of these and you’ll fi nd while keeping PL at bay. It yourself on a path to a happier retailer marriage. restaged its wipes business into a super-premium tier with Trade in: the number of shoppers your idea brings additional scents (from 3x & into the category pricing to 3.7x vs. PL) to trade PL is a great alternative for some shoppers. But who’s up loyal shoppers, and launched bringing shoppers into the category? Your brand has to. low-tier wipes, matching PL shelf Through marketing, which PL doesn’t do, your initiative has price within 10% (via down- to create category awareness and need. The best example counting but still with a 2.5x of this would be any brand in a low-penetration category, like pricing cost/wipe). This launch And they lived happily ever after. packaged meats, or Swiffer in quick-cleaning. increased sales by 20%. Swiffer’s key shopper barrier was that consumers Chris Chan is a Canadian expat who used didn’t see it in the aisle because they couldn’t recognize Trade across: the number of to work at P&G Canada and is now at P&G the “broom” that was packed in the starter kit. Swiffer shoppers your idea trades Geneva. He loves marketing and speaking in worked with the retailer to reinvent the aisle and hang into adjacencies the third person. For light amusement, follow brooms fully assembled and out of the box. Now there’s Everybody’s talking about scale him on Twitter @executive_guy.

STRATEGY October 2011 65

Forum.Oct11.indd 65 21/09/11 5:34 PM back page.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. We asked Zulu Alpha Kilo for their take on the industry and just how difficult it is to be Brand of the Year. The truth hurts, doesn’t it?

Getting Brand of the Year isn’t easy.

66 STRATEGY October 2011 www.strategyonline.ca

ZULU1195_Strategy_R1.indd 1 11-09-20 1:49 PM BackPage.Oct11.indd 66 21/09/11 5:27 PM Lance Martin • Executive Creative Director at TAXI 2 Lise Doucet • Vice President Marketing Communications at Koodo Mobile

When like-minded clients and agencies come together, great work is born.

Join us at the CMA Awards Gala on November 25, 2011. For event information visit CelebrateYourBaby.ca or call 416-644-3763.

ST.20091.CMA.Ad.indd 1 22/09/11 2:05 PM 13060_CMA_R0_V2StrategyFullPageAd__8.375x10.875.indd 1 9/9/11 3:06 PM 2011: Is it your year?

99 Sudbury • Toronto • November 10th, 2011

Book your tickets now and join Canada’s advertising elite as they vie for the most prestigious Agency awards.

Be sure to ask about group rates for 5+ and 10+. Contact Joel Pinto at 416-408-2300 x 650 or [email protected]

Presenting Sponsor:

ST.20113.AOY_HA.indd 1 23/09/11 2:58 PM