A long-term view

The #TapeOutHate campaign by Budweiser Canada and the Hockey Diversity Alliance used hockey tape to ignite a movement to eradicate racism in hockey by spotlighting the real experiences of professional players and calling on fans to take action. Dentsu delivered upon a strategic media plan that led to #TapeOutHate trending to number one on Twitter within a few hours of launching.

The #TapeOutHate campaign by Budweiser Canada and the Hockey Diversity Alliance used hockey tape to ignite a movement to eradicate racism in hockey by spotlighting the real experiences of professional players and calling on fans to take action. Dentsu delivered upon a strategic media plan that led to #TapeOutHate trending to number one on Twitter within a few hours of launching.

Clients are seeking agencies that offer integrated solutions, not just services, and they want a long-term view on marketing strategy, says Stephen Kiely, Dentsu Canada’s CEO. And that, he adds, is just what they’ll get with Dentsu Canada.

The shop is a 360° agency within a vast global network incorporating expertise in creativity, media and customer experience management (CXM) focused toward brand and business growth and, just as importantly, the greater good. Dentsu’s international leadership brands include Dentsu Creative, Carat, iProspect, dentsu X and Merkle. With offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, Dentsu Canada counts 1,200 employees.

Kiely, who was tapped as CEO in April, has led the development of campaigns for Toyota, Lexus, Canon, Uniqlo and Subway during his 18-year Dentsu career, originally joining the media group before moving onto the creative side.

Heinz partnered with Waze to utilize its app’s built-in navigation and speed-tracking system to target Canadians stuck in traffic. And if traffic went at the speed of ketchup, Heinz rewarded them with free product. Dentsu brought attention to the campaign through video on social, ads on Spotify and on digital OOH boards informing drivers how to unlock the offer.

Heinz partnered with Waze to utilize its app’s built-in navigation and speed-tracking system to target Canadians stuck in traffic. And if traffic went at the speed of ketchup, Heinz rewarded them with free product. Dentsu brought attention to the campaign through video on social, ads on Spotify and on digital OOH boards informing drivers how to unlock the offer.

He says the agency’s recent wins and continued growth with existing clients is proof it is heading in the right direction. Following a global review, Dentsu continues to handle media buying for Labatt Breweries, while new business includes Manulife, Metrolinx, and Sherwin-Williams.

Dentsu won more than 30 Canadian awards last year and garnered international kudos, including a London International Award for campaign work for Dyslexia Canada.

To draw attention to the challenges faced by those with the disorder, Dyslexia Canada and Dentsu created the “Trouble with Words” campaign to leverage the popularity of online game Wordle. The campaign set out to show there is nothing fun about struggling with word challenges for the millions of Canadians with dyslexia.

To help IKEA sell mattresses and other sleep-related products to sleep-deprived new parents, Dentsu identified listeners of Spotify’s popular sleep playlists for babies. Placements were bought and ads created matching the playlists’ tone with ambient sounds and whispered VO from Ikea spokesperson Jonas.

To help IKEA sell mattresses and other sleep-related products to sleep-deprived new parents, Dentsu identified listeners of Spotify’s popular sleep playlists for babies. Placements were bought and ads created matching the playlists’ tone with ambient sounds and whispered VO from Ikea spokesperson Jonas.

The multimedia campaign included misspelled URLs such as “wrdole.com” and “wodrel.ca” as well as banner and social ads with hard-to-read 30-character headlines that fit the 5 x 6 Wordle game grid. Users were driven to itshardtoread.org, an immersive experiential website that sensitizes Canadians to what it’s like to live with a reading challenge.

For Budweiser Canada and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, Dentsu ignited a movement to eradicate racism in hockey by spotlighting real experiences of pro hockey players and calling on fans to take action. As part of #TapeOutHate, hockey tape was used to amplify and deliver the message.

A strategic media plan led to #TapeOutHate trending at number one on Twitter within hours. Five hours after launch, more than 20,000 rolls of hockey tape sold out online. The media campaign generated 75 million paid impressions and more than 2.7 million paid video views.

Dentsu’s work is sometimes about more than supporting a brand or selling a product. Sometimes it’s about helping build a movement. Case in point is its support of the BlackNorth Initiative, which aims to mobilize corporate Canada to eradicate systemic anti-Black racism.

Dentsu’s work is sometimes about more than supporting a brand or selling a product. Sometimes it’s about helping build a movement. Case in point is its support of the BlackNorth Initiative, which aims to mobilize corporate Canada to eradicate systemic anti-Black racism.

Just as clients and consumers want to see positive change in the world, Dentsu Canada is applying that lens to both its company culture and that of the industry as a whole.

Over the past year, it has deployed a company-wide DEI strategy led by Marème Touré, VP, diversity, equity and inclusion. “We aspire to be a force for good in Canada’s advertising and media industry, [where] top talent from diverse backgrounds can bring their most authentic selves to work and thrive,” she says.

The agency published the report Together We Thrive, an industry-first DEI deep dive into the Canadian market. It also launched the Your Turn at Dentsu mentorship program to provide access to leadership and career-pathing opportunities for racialized/BIPOC employees.

Within its own company, Dentsu set up listening circles where employees were encouraged to share experiences. To get employees involved and provide them continued support, BRG (business resource groups) communities were launched, including Parents, Pride, and Interfaith.

When you’re dyslexic, no story is simple. Dyslexia Canada wanted to raise awareness about what it means to suffer from the condition, so Dentsu created experiential website itshardtoread.org.

When you’re dyslexic, no story is simple. Dyslexia Canada wanted to raise awareness about what it means to suffer from the condition, so Dentsu created experiential website itshardtoread.org.

Dentsu Canada’s Anti-Racism Action Plan is aimed at being an internal agent of change by raising awareness, taking on key DEI projects and creating a speaker series to present inspirational learning opportunities.

Kiely is driven by the belief that “a single idea can change business and the world for the better. As CEO, I want to continue to nurture a business and workplace culture of collaboration to create high-value solutions, measurable impact and business results.”

CONTACT:
Kate Dobrucki
VP, Communications
kate.dobrucki@dentsu.com

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