The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) has issued a call for nominations for its Gold Medal award program.
The ACA Gold Medal is given to “an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of marketing communications in Canada.” It will again be awarded at the Marketing Awards in Toronto. This year’s gala is on June 4.
In 2014, the honour was presented to William (Bill) H. Moir, chief brand and marketing officer for Tim Hortons. When selecting Moir, ACA president and CEO Ron Lund said his organization was struck by the consistency of his strategy throughout his tenure at Tims.
“Bill epitomized what marketing was all about,” Lund said. As the company grew to become the biggest coffee franchise in Canada, Moir resisted any “knee-jerk” or over-the-top marketing strategy, and insisted that the brand focus on its consumers and their needs. The calm and collected approach to advertising, from the ACA’s perspective, has helped keep Tim Hortons at the top of its industry.
“[Tim Hortons] is an absolute case study on getting the strategy and [not moving] too far away from it when it’s working,” says Lund.
The ACA first awarded its Gold Medal in 1941, and the list of past winners include some intriguing names from Canada’s advertising history. In 1953, the Gold Medal went to Group of Seven member A.J. Casson, who spent part of his career at commercial art firm Rous and Mann and graphic design company Sampson-Matthews. During Canada’s centennial year in 1967, the medal went to Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau, who was responsible for bringing Expo 67 to his city. Past recipients have also included Cossette founder Claude Cossette (1988) and influential media agency executive Sunni Boot (1998).
Nomination forms are available at the organization’s website and must be filed by April 17.
The 2015 ACA Gold Medal will be presented at the Marketing Awards gala on June 4 at The Carlu in Toronto. Please visit the Marketing Awards website for details.
