The Globe and Mail has revealed the winners for this year’s Canadian Young Lions competitions
The Young Lions competition is open to those 30 or younger working at a Canadian agency or brand. Gold winning teams will compete in the virtual Global Young Lions Competition, with Canada’s Cannes Lions representative The Globe and Mail covering the cost of registration, delegate passes to attend Cannes Lions, flights and accommodation.
The Canadian competition took place over the weekend of Feb. 26 to 28, 2022. The teams had to respond to a brief within a 24- or 48-hour time period, depending on their category. This year’s brief was from Hamilton-based non-profit Youth Mental Health Canada (YMHC).
Entries were evaluated by juries of industry leaders, led by returning chairs Mary Maddever, EVP, editorial director, Brunico (Digital, Film, Print); Cathy Collier, CEO, OMD Canada (Media); and Susan Irving, CMO, Kruger Products (Marketers).
Winners were revealed Wednesday at the CMDC conference. The Gold winning entries have been highlighted below; for more info on them, as well as the Silver and Bronze work, go to the Canada Young Lions website.
Media
Gold
“Mental Engine Check”
Tristan Bonnot-Parent, data analyst assistant, Cossette Media
Anastasiya Matuk, media design assistant, Cossette Media
To remind parents and caregivers that they may need to be proactive in helping youth manage their mental health, this campaign utilizes a car as an analogy: both cars and youth need regular check-ins, they both need that work to be done by an expert and both can break down if that maintenance is ignored. The campaign revolves around a symbol that would not be out of place among a dashboard’s warning lights. The symbol would be used across different media executions, from digital and out-of-home ads to stunts that bring the analogy to life to an air freshener that gives people a reminder ever time they get behind the wheel.
Silver
“Bridging the Gap”
Eileen Bui, assistant digital strategist, OMD
Camilo Trujillo Sanchez, digital supervisor, OMD
Bronze
“Mental Art”
André-Félix Barriault, digital supervisor, Omnicom Media Group
Alexandra Cloutier, digital associate director, Omnicom Media Group
Digital
Gold
“Benefits that Benefit Others”
Reena Feldman, copywriter, FCB Canada
Erika Jee, art director, FCB Canada
The attention given to the importance of mental health means more people than ever have mental health coverage through their benefits at work. But not everyone uses the coverage available to them, which seems unfair considering how many youth don’t get coverage of their own or don’t have full-time employment.
Through a special website, people who willingly provide their plan number and member ID can find out just how much unused coverage they have and donate it to the youth YMHC serves. It also haves the added benefit getting people donate without the hurdle of convincing them to open up their wallets.
Silver
“Rate this Call”
Geneviève Jetté, copywriter, Lg2
Tyran Trieu, art director, Lg2
Bronze
“Unlock Me”
Kennedy Choi, art director, Rethink
Jenai Kershaw, copywriter, Rethink
Film
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Gold
“The Audition”
Félix-Antoine Belleville, copywriter, Lg2
Zacharie Turgeon, freelance director, Lg2
YWCA takes a community-focused approach to mental health and suicide prevention, looking to engage all the people in a young person’s life who have a role to play. This spot takes a slightly different spin on that idea, imagining a casting call for all the people who take on those roles, from family members to teachers to bus drivers.
Silver
“Unfinished Stories”
Maxine Hood, assistant editor, Sid Lee
Mac Thomson, assistant editor, Sid Lee
Bronze
“Jenny’s Life”
Émile Lavoie, designer, Colossale
Camille Mongeau, copywriter, freelance
Gold
“The Offline Network”
Caroline Sierra-Bornais, senior art director, Grey Canada
Shirley Yushkov, senior copywriter, Grey Canada
When we’re facing a challenge we don’t know how to solve, most of us immediately head for Google. But this print ad wants to remind family and community members that they can be that (potentially much more helpful) first place young people turn to when they are having thoughts of self-harm.
Silver
“6 Feet Closer”
Charles Caboche, art director, Taxi
Amy Flores, art director, Taxi
Bronze
“Mental Health Facts”
Emma Laberge, art director, Rethink
Laurent H. Tremblay, copywriter, Rethink
Marketers
Gold
“Gatorade #BeLike”
Omar Elmezaini, marketing manager, Mtn Dew & 7up, PepsiCo Beverages Canada
Kush Gandhi, marketing manager, Miss Vickie’s, Smartfood, Sun Chips, PepsiCo Foods Canada
This partnership imagined putting a spin on Gatorade’s classic “Be Like Mike” campaign, but instead of Michael Jordan, it would use the images of Naomi Osaka, DeMar DeRozan and Simone Biles. By encouraging youth to “be like” athletes who have been open about the mental health challenges they’ve faced, the hope is that they too will feel empowered to speak up about what they are going through, both for themselves and to encourage those around them to utilize YMHC’s services.
Silver
“McDonald’s Happier Meal”
Matt Bissonnette, marketing analytics manager, McDonald’s Canada
Lily Shui, national marketing consultant, McDonald’s Canada
Bronze
“Open One Up with Budweiser”
Melisa Bayrav, senior brand manager, Corona & Modelo, Labatt Breweries of Canada
Michelle Skea, senior brand manager, Stella Artois, Labatt Breweries of Canada
