Argyle Communications and Strategic Objectives took top honours at the Achieving Communications Excellence or ACE Awards Wednesday night, presented by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) of Toronto.
Argyle Communications, with experiential agency Free for All, won the ACE award for Best PR Campaign of the Year for the “30% off Ontario Tuition” campaign. That work also won gold in Community Relations Campaign of the Year. It was designed to make students aware they could be eligible for a tuition break under a program by the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities.
The agencies trained a team of current students and recent graduates to intercept and educate students about the offer. By focusing on “student-to-student” communications, finding creative ways to pre-qualify students and pairing live on-campus with online socialization, the team made face-to-face contact with 29,000 students on 47 campus in just three weeks, resulting in a 27.5% increase in applications for the rebate.
Best Creative PR Campaign went to Strategic Objectives and client Mondelez Canada for the “100th Birthday of Oreo” celebrations, which included first-time-ever media tours of Oreo’s Montreal factory, birthday wishes from premiers and mayors, and a 15-foot Oreo cookie at Toronto’s Eaton Centre. The campaign also won gold in Media Relations – Budget over $50,000.
Apex Public Relations was the most-awarded agency, winning five bronze awards, three silvers and one gold. The agency won gold in the Media Relations – Budget under $50,000 category for Nike Canada’s Sustainable Olympic Track Uniforms campaign.
Other gold winners included:
Media Relations – Budget Over $50,000
Argyle Communications – The Canadian Pain Summit
Best Use of Special Events
Rona Inc. and MSL Canada – The Nature of Colour
DDB Public Relations – Subaru’s BRZ Scorches the Competition
New Product or Service Launch Campaign of the Year
Paradigm Public Relations, BOOM Marketing and Real Interactive for Energizer Personal Care – Launch of Schick Hydro Silk
GolinHarris Canada and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada – Our Food. Your Questions
Brand Development Campaign of the Year
McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada – Our Food. Your Questions.
Best Student PR Campaign of the Year
Talk is Cheap 5.0 Team, Centennial College – Talk is Cheap 5.0
Leadership Award winners included Cathy Cowan, president of Cowan & Company Communications Inc., who was named PR Professional of the Year, and John Muldoon, senior public relations counsel for Canada at Pituitary Network Association, who received the Lois Marsh award for outstanding support and involvement.
“The ACE Award recipients are selected by a judging panel of seasoned PR professionals,” said Heather Agnew, ACE Awards chair, CPRS Toronto, in a release. “Being recognized by industry peers with an ACE Award is a symbol of quality and mutual respect amongst Toronto’s PR community.”
