Bell Media and the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) have awarded the 2022 Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity in Advertising (IDEA) win to the non-profit federation Big Brothers Big Sister and its agency Humanity. The competition, which focused on campaigns highlighting LGBTQ+ communities, will award the organization with $1 million worth of inventory on Bell Media platforms.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been championing the health and well-being of youth for more than 100 years. The idea for their award-winning campaign, which will debut in the coming months, features a brand evolution that embraces self-expression and authenticity in the eyes of the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

“I have no doubt that seeing the final campaign delivered by Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters will set a new standard, not only for diversity in marketing, but excellence in authentic brand-building,” Scott Knox, president and CEO, ICA, tells MiC. “Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking to embrace a long-term brand challenge, one that, with our support, will be impactful and last for many years.  It will deliver a message of genuine inclusivity with this move.”

“Big Brothers Big Sisters’ winning proposal showed creative excellence and ingenuity, in addition to a boldness to lead the way in inclusive branding and storytelling,” says Brandon Moonrei, director, DSP partnerships and client strategy, Bell Media. “We will now work closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Humanity to develop an impactful media plan leveraging our full suite of platforms including TV, digital, out of home and radio.”

The competition was judged by a diverse jury of 14 representatives from the Canadian media sector. It was open to both national and international brands and their agencies.