24 Hours is promoting its recent design changes with consumer-facing contests for all six core markets and an advertising blitz across the Quebecor chain and beyond.

To promote the contests and the Quebecor-owned daily’s refreshed look, 24 Hours executed a media buy across print publications within the Quebecor media stable and on its websites in core markets. It also purchased ads on radio in Toronto and OOH in Ottawa and Vancouver. The company handled its own creative and media buy in-house.

The redesign, according to Tammy Doherty, general manager, brand marketing and urban product management, Sun Media, is more of a refresh, part of the constant evolution of the publications to keep them compelling for readers and businesses.

‘It packages all of our content in a very readership-friendly product,’ she tells MiC. ‘It keeps readers engaged and partners the advertisements with appealing content.’

The new look is more colourful, visual and magazine-like, and has improved navigation. The front page and section fronts have more flexibility for promotions of features, columnists and advertisements. Online stayed the same through the refresh, with stand-alone publications in Montreal and Vancouver, and PDF versions of the hard copies in the other four markets. A mobile app is on the way, Doherty says.

The biggest promotional effort is focused in Toronto, featuring 24 prize giveaways over 24 days in the Toronto market. Smaller gift packages are being offered in the paper’s other markets. The contest promotion ends Oct. 15.