Canadian Tire and its agency partners cleaned up at the 2014 Media Innovation Awards, winning several gold and silver awards for its wintry “We All Play for Canada” and “Ice Truck” campaigns.
Canadian Tire and Touché Toronto’s “We All Play for Canada,” which took home the night’s Best of Show honour, won three other gold MIAs. The campaign involved gathering hundreds of hometown supporters of hockey player Jonathan Toews for a moving snapshot of the community effort involved in developing a star athlete.
Touché Toronto also shared three other golds and one silver MIA with Taxi and North Strategic for Canadian Tire’s “Ice Truck” campaign. A team of ice sculptors chipped the upper body of a pickup truck from blocks of ice and operated the vehicle using a Canadian Tire car battery stored at -40 degrees Celsius – all to demonstrate its resistance to frigid northern temperatures.
Touché has only been working with Canadian Tire for about a year, and in fact, was just two months into its work for the company when the idea for the Ice Truck came about.
“It takes a lot of trust for a client to do this sort of campaign,” said Karine Courtemanche, MIAs co-chair and president of Touché Media. “We’re extremely proud that they took risks that came with it.”
A bit of fate also helped Touché Toronto, Taxi and North Strategic when it came time to launch the Ice Truck – as it rolled out onto the road, Canada was deep into winter and had just been hit by 2014’s polar vortex.
“We increased and bought more online impressions when it got colder outside,” said Courtemanche. “So on top of having a strong creative idea… and a client who strongly believed in this idea, there was also a creative media strategy to back it up… We quickly turned around and readjusted according to the weather.”
Other notable winners of multiple Gold MIAs included Touché Montréal and La Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) for a place-based media campaign titled “Ghosts!,” which warned young people of the consequences of dangerous driving.
FGL Sports, Sport Chek and Touché Montréal also won two Gold MIAs for the launch of the retailer’s social flyer, which delivers tailored product information and notifications based on criteria set by the user.
Other recurring agencies for gold, silver and bronze MIAs included Cossette Media, Zulu Alpha Kilo, OMD, PHD, Starcom MediaVest, John St., Leo Burnett, UM Canada and Grey.
Below are the gold winners of the 2014 MIAs (be advised that more than one gold MIA can be awarded in the same category). You can also click here to view photos of the winners after they received their “M” trophies.
Winners of multiple gold MIAs:
Canadian Tire and Taxi/North Strategic/Touché Toronto for “Ice Truck”
– Innovation in Experiential/Special Event/Stunts
– Best Use of Ambient/Place-Based Media (Large Scale)
– Best in Cars and Automotive Services
Canadian Tire and Touché Toronto for “We All Play for Canada”
– Best in Integrated/Multichannel
– Best Use of Branded Content
– Best in Sponsorships
– BEST OF SHOW
FGL Sports, Sport Chek and Touché Montréal for “Researching the Canadian Social Flyer”
– Best in Data/Research
– “The First Canadian Social Flyer” also received a gold for Best in Retail and E-Commerce
SAAQ and Touché Montréal for “Ghosts!”
– Best Use of Ambient/Place-Based Media (Large Scale)
– Best in Charities, Health Care and Safety, Public Awareness Messages
Other gold MIA winners:
Best in Video:
– Mazda and Excelerator Media/JWT for “Mazda3 Test Drive”
Best in Audio:
– Canadian Tire and Touché Toronto for “Best Song Ever”
Best Use of Ambient/Place-Based Media (Small Scale):
– Telus Mobility and Cossette Media for “Telus Cab Chargers”
– Bulk Cat Litter Warehouse and Cossette Media for “Catnip DM”
Innovation in Experiential/Special Event/Stunts:
– Molson Canadian and Rethink for “Passport Beer Fridge”
Best Use of Content Integration:
– Ubisoft Canada and ZenithOptimedia for “WatchDogs: Communication Breakdown”
Best in Consumer Engagement:
– Corby Spirit & Wine/Absolut and Isobar for “Absolute Inspire”
Best in Websites and Microsites:
– Royal Canadian Mint and Cossette Media for “Heart of the Arctic”
Best in Mobile:
– GlaxoSmithKline and Grey for “Breathe Right Sleep Clinic”
Best in Digital Technology:
– Lanctôt Ltée (Louisville Slugger Canada) and Taxi Canada for “The Priceless Bat”
Best in Social Media:
– Historica Canada and Rethink for “Memory Project”
Best in Media Spend Under $250,000:
– Molson Coors Canada and MEC Canada for “Canada Day Beer Fridge”
Best in Niche Target and Multicultural:
– Reitmans Addition Elle and OMD Montréal for “Addition Elle Ashley Graham”
Best Localisation Campaign:
– Yellow Pages and Leo Burnett, Toronto for “Highlight Your Hood”
Best in Search:
– General Mills and Cossette Media for “LifeMadeDelicious.ca Custom Search Experiences”
Best in Sponsorships:
– Kraft Canada and Taxi Canada for “MiO at NXNE”
Best in Fast Moving Consumer Goods:
– Modelo Molson Imports LP and Zulu Alpha Kilo for “Corona Day of the Dead Tearaway”
Best in Durable Goods:
– Microsoft XBOX One and Starcom Canada for “XBOX One All in One”
Best in Financial Products and Commercial Services
– Yellow Pages Group and Starcom MediaVest Group for “YP – Get the App”
Best in Travel, Entertainment and Leisure:
– Tourisme Montréal and PHD Montréal for “Toronto, à la Montréal”
Best in Business Products and Services, Corporate Information and Self-Promotion
– Calgary Zoo and Trigger for “Calgary Zoo 2012 Annual Report”
Best in Charities, Health Care and Safety, Public Awareness Messages
– Amnesty International and Cossette Media for “One Minute of Silence for Amnesty International”
Best Use of Out-of-Home (Traditional)
– Les Producteurs de Lait du Québec and Touché Montréal for “Milk Goes Well With…”
Best Use of Display
Aeroplan and Cossette Media for “Aeroplan Video Wallpaper”
