The little app that could kept up its winning streak on Friday night in Toronto. The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and Cundari won one of the country’s top marketing accolades at the 42nd annual Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Awards Gala, taking home the 2012 CMA Best of the Best Award for “Pain Squad.”
The mobile app helped build enhanced pain management programs for kids with cancer. Patients at SickKids that took part in the program received an iPhone with the app on it, putting them in the role of a “pain detective.” Patients filed reports about their medical treatments and rose through the Pain Squad ranks by doing so. Cast members from Canadian TV shows including Rookie Blue and Flashpoint starred in motivational videos for the kids.
Since the app’s launch, completion rates for the cancer pain journals have skyrocketed to 90% and the program has been picked up by four other Canadian pediatric hospitals. An international release is also planned.
The campaign also won two Golds (one NFP/Fundraising/Public Service award in the Customer Management category, and another in the Experiential and Innovative Media category) and a Silver in NFP/Fundraising/Public Service award in the Digital category at the CMA gala.
In June, Pain Squad won Best of Show at the Marketing Awards and took home two Gold Lions in Cannes. More recently, the campaign won three awards for the campaign at 27th annual London International Awards.
Another highlight of the evening was when CMA named Porter Airlines president and CEO Robert Deluce Canada’s 2012 Marketer of the Year. Since Deluce launched the airline in 2006, it has become the country’s third-largest scheduled air service.
Describing Porter Airlines as “a great Canadian marketing success story,” CMA president and CEO John Gustavson said in a release that the airline is a “shining example for how a new entrant with a visionary leader can carve out a niche in a volatile market.”
Previous recipients of the award, which goes to individuals who show outstanding marketing acumen, include Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, Lululemon CEO Christine Day and former VANOC CEO John Furlong. Recipients are selected by a special committee of the CMA board of directors.
Other gold winners from the CMA Awards included:
- BMW Canada’s “1M Launch” from Cundari
- John St.’s “Catvertising”
- Wrigley Canada’s “Skittles Touch the Rainbow” from BBDO Canada
- O.B. Tampons’ “A Personal Apology (Just For You)” from Lowe Roche
- Scotiabank’s “You’re richer than you think” from Bensimon Byrne
- Canadian Paralympic Committee’s “Unstoppable” from BBDO Canada
- IKEA’s “Long Live the Home” from Leo Burnett, Toronto
- Volkswagen’s “Art Heist” from Red Urban
- Labatt Breweries of Canada’s “Budweiser – Flash Fans” by Anomaly
- P&G’s Gillette’s “Wear It Like Wes” from Proximity Canada
- Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s “48 Half Hours” from Target
- TD Bank’s “TD Back to School” from Diamond Marketing
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s “Make Death Wait” from Lowe Roche
- HBC Canada’s “Zellers Festive Finale” from John St.
- Microsoft Canada’s “Developer Movement” from Wunderman
- James Ready’s “Spelling Bee Lottery” from Leo Burnett, Toronto
- Boston Pizza’s “The Joy of Finger Cooking” from Taxi Toronto
- Royal Bank of Canada’s “RBC Got It” from MacLaren McCann
- FedEx Canada’s “Dominoes” from BBDO Canada
- Canadian Tourism Commission’s “Keep Exploring” from DDB Canada/Vancouver
- TD Canada Trust’s “Pump It Up 3” from Twist Image
- Taxi’s “Pothole Season”
- Type Books’ “The Joy of Books” from Lowe Roche
- Cara Operations’ “Swiss Chalet – The Rotisserie Channel” from BBDO Canada
- Edward Pond’s “Edward Pond’s Creative Chef” from Taxi 2
- BC Hydro’s “Power Smart” from DDB Canada/Vancouver
- SickKids Foundation’s “Do The Happy for SickKids” from Oxygen Design Agency
- Rethink Breast Cancer’s “Your Man Reminder” from John St.
- Unilever Canada’s “Magnum Heir” from Ogilvy
- MasterCard Canada’s “Stylicity Spring 2012 Launch Campaign” from MacLaren McCann
- IKEA’s “Moving Day” from Leo Burnett, Toronto
For the full list of CMA Award winners, click here.
