Starcom MediaVest Group’s Toronto office won four awards and was named “Media Innovation Agency of 2008” at The Internationalist magazine’s Awards for Innovation in Media last week.
More than 30 countries participated in the inaugural awards show, the first to create categories based upon a media campaign’s geographic footprint—including global campaign, regional campaign, local execution of a multinational campaign and a local campaign worthy of international adaptation.
Three Canadian agencies—Starcom and the Omnicom Media Group networks OMD Canada and PHD Canada—combined to win a total of seven awards (two Grand Prix, four gold and one silver) at the show.
Starcom MediaVest Group Canada won a Grand Prix for Johnnie Walker’s “Chinese New Year” campaign while OMD Canada took home a Grand Prix for its “Doritos Collisions” campaign.
Internationalist founder and publisher Deborah Malone said the decision to name Starcom “Media Innovation Agency of 2008” came after jurors noticed the agency was a frequent winner. “They obviously understand what makes for best media practices now; it’s about delivering results and understanding the kind of insights you have be able to glean from the consumer to connect. They really seem to have that down,” said Malone.
“They conveyed that not only do they understand things, but they find insights and can figure out interesting, tactical ways to deliver them and… deliver results.”
Starcom also won a pair of golds for campaigns for Kraft’s Oreo cookies and ConAgra’s Pogo brand, plus silver for another campaign for Johnnie Walker that saw the brand’s iconic “striding man” featured on the cover and the UPC code of CalgaryInc. magazine.
“We are so thrilled,” said Starcom CEO Lauren Richards. “In addition to our accomplishments, the overall Canadian performance provides further proof that Canada competes on the world stage for delivering creativity and innovation in media.”
For OMD, the Awards for Innovation in Media continued a strong run for its Doritos Collisions work that included Best of Show honours at Marketing’s 2008 Media Innovation Awards. “We’re really proud,” said OMD Canada president Lorraine Hughes. “It’s the whole aspect that innovation can really produce results, which is what we’ve always believed. It’s great to see Canadians compete and win on the global stage. It really shows that the work is world class, the thinking is world class.”
OMD’s sister agency PHD Canada was honoured with a pair of gold awards for its “Dove Sleepover” campaign for Unilever and its work with SABMiller’s Peroni beer, which included a faux boutique in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area as well as transit ads and night projections in Toronto and Vancouver.
“We’re delighted to be recognized and it was nice to see such a great showing from Canada,” said PHD Canada president Fred Forster. “I think it’s a recognition that there’s a lot of good media work being done in this country.”
