Over the course of the next week, strategy is sharing profiles of this year’s Agency of the Year winners. Today, the spotlight is being put on the country’s top media shops.

The Gold Media Agency of the Year for 2019 was Initiative, which has successfully wrapped up a three-year plan to improve its reputation within the Canadian market, as well as working to reverse what has typically been an adversarial relationship between media companies and agencies.

This Silver Media Agency of the Year, UM Canada, has been working closer with clients to develop bolder media plans and address tech-centric problems.

And taking the Bronze trophy was Touche!, which has been fully utilizing its data capabilities to get a more comprehensive view of consumer habits.

The 2019 Media Campaign of the Year – awarded to the individual piece of work that received the top scores from this year’s media jury – went to UM Canada for its media planning around the “Oh Henry! 4:25” campaign, which included getting the stoner-friendly chocolate bar onto stoner-friendly platforms, such as YouTube’s Epic Meal Time, in the lead up to cannabis legalization.

Be sure to check out the full list of winners from this year’s gala, and check back here in the coming days for deep dives into how Canada’s top agencies are setting themselves up for success.

Media Agency of the Year 2019 Winners

Gold: Initiative flips the script
Silver: UM Canada’s courage pays off
Bronze: Touche!’s people-based planning

Campaign of the Year

“Oh Henry! 4:25”
Agency: UM Canada
Client: Oh Henry! (The Hershey Company)