CTV and the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) want to raise the creative bar for the biggest event on Canadian television.
The two organizations have partnered on a new initiative called the “Super Bowl Canadian Ad Challenge,” urging the industry to create “dynamic, original creative” specifically aimed at Canadians. The winner will receive ad time during CTV’s telecast of Super Bowl XLIX.
The goal of the challenge is to create “unforgettable” commercials for Canadian Super Bowl audiences, said Lucy Collin, vice-president of marketing and innovation – integrated sales for CTV-owner Bell Media.
“We are calling on the brightest minds from our tremendously talented creative ad community to produce compelling ads that appeal directly to Canadian viewers,” she said.
This year’s Super Bowl attracted a combined 8 million viewers on CTV and RDS, but the game remains a sore spot for Canadians unable to see the U.S. ads because Canadian broadcasters replace the U.S. signal with their own.
Fan outrage over missed Super Bowl ads even led the CRTC to issue a reminder to Canadians about the value of simultaneous substitution just prior to the telecast, noting that it contributed $200 million for the Canadian broadcast system in 2010.
Further information on the challenge—including rules, regulations, restrictions and requirements—will be released when the competition officially launches in the coming weeks, said the two groups.
