Canada’s first ever Advertising Week culminated in Toronto last night with the 2008 Cassies Awards top honours going to New Diamond Shreddies, who took home the Grand Prix, a gold in the Package Goods Food category and a gold for Best Integrated for client Kraft Canada and agency Ogilvy & Mather. The Shreddies awards were two of the 46 handed out at simultaneous events in Toronto and Montreal.
Cassies winners were judged on the basis of convincing proof that top business results were substantially caused by the advertising. A total of 132 entries were submitted in multiple award categories – 92 of them, unique cases.
In total, Cassies awarded 13 golds, 24 silvers and 8 bronzes, plus the Grand Prix. And since the Cassies are all about recognizing and showcasing effectiveness, it’s fitting that Chair of Judging Mark Childs, VP Marketing Campbell Company of Canada, in his opening Message in the Cassies Winners book describes the case learning thusly: ‘With fresh insights at their heart, the winning cases demonstrate that breakthrough advertising ideas don’t just build brands and meet a business opportunity, they’re a reason to feel optimistic that brighter times are ahead.’
David Leonard, president of DDB Canada, co-chaired the posh, high-energy awards show in Toronto with Childs, who at one point joked that the John St. table (winners of four Golds and two Silvers), couldn’t withstand any more awards. Co-chairs in Montreal were Michel Ostiguy, president and founder of BOS and Gaétan Courchesne, VP, Association des concessionnaires Honda du Québec.
Media winners include Dairy Farmers of Canada’s gold for its cool Building Milk Volume Five Seconds at a Time campaign by Due North Communications for attention-deficient teens, which also won Off to a Good Start Gold. Toyota Canada and Dentsu won Best Use of Media Silver and Off to a Good Start Silver for its Toyota Highlander Re-Launch, and Touchdown Sticks! also captured Best Use of Media Silver, plus Business to Business Silver for Syngenta Crop Protection Canada and Bos.
Best Integrated nods include the gold win for Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec’s Fromages d’ici campaign which also won Off to a Good Start Silver. Cossette Communication-Marketing’s efforts to get Quebec specialty cheeses noticed over rival French cheeses saw sales increases which varied from +6% to +645%.
Mini Canada and AOR Taxi also took Best Integrated Gold for Mini Turbovision, as well as Automotive and DIY Silver. The Gee Beauty concept and launch marketing was awarded Best Integrated Silver in addition to Retail Silver for GJP’s overall brand work. Desjardins and Lg2 also earned a Best Integrated Silver nod for the Desjardins,More than a Bank campaign, in addition to Services Financial Silver.
Judges for Cassies 2008/9 were Robert Bernard, partner, Decode; Niraj Dawar, Professor of Marketing, Ivey Business School; Dominique De Celles, VP/CMO, L’Oreal Canada; Hugh Dow, chairman, M2 Universal; Lawrie Ferguson, SVP marketing, Coast Capital Savings; Glen Hunt, creative catalyst, Dentsu; Anne-Marie LaBerge, VP, communications and marketing, Telus; Steve Mykolyn, VP, CCO, Taxi; Jill Nykoliation, founder/president, Juniper Park; Pierre Parent, president, P2P; Leslie Root, VP marketing, Winners Merchants International; Suzanne Sauvage, EVP/CSO, Nurun Inc.
Cassies is presented by the Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA), the Association des agences de Publicité du Québec (AAPQ) and Association des professionnels de la communication et du marketing (APCM), and in association with strategywho produced this year’s Official 2008 Winners Guide.
For a detailed list of the winners and cases, or a history of Cassies’ winners by agency and client since 1993, go here.
