MEDIA | GOLD
This story was originally published in the 2023 fall issue of strategy magazine.
PHD’s business model is built on the belief that the power of creativity drives results. That, plus a culture of bravery and a curious ethos – which Caroline Moul, president of PHD Canada, says is all about “making the leap.”
Innovation can come in all shapes and sizes, “and we want to make sure we’re not just talking about price,” when it comes to pitching the agency to clients, Moul says. Price is a factor, but “fundamentally, it’s about our people, our tools and technology and how those fuel and empower our people.”
Moul points to Sico’s “Honouring Quebec” campaign, which the agency has iterated over the years. For 2023, it created over 80 different executions in more than 20 hyper-contextual environments, for a total of 240 Sico colours that celebrated Quebec, its culture and language.
PHD’s team helped bring new life to the campaign, which led to a collaboration with Quebec chef Ricardo Larrivée and ads featuring recipes with an ingredient corresponding to a colour in the Sico palette (think basil leaves, lemon tart or vanilla powder). The campaign was featured in local media like La Presse+ to drive cultural relevance in the market.
The shop also created a media placement that was triggered by temperatures and weather conditions, and worked with Tinder to personify Sico with its own profile on the platform.
Those are the kind of creatively led media campaigns PHD wants to be known for. “It breaks our hearts when we’re considered just a [media] buyer,” says Moul. It’s become the agency’s mission to take creative leaps, but some clients “are more procurement and price-driven, and less ambitious when it comes to creativity and innovation,” she admits. Some might see bravery as a risk, she adds, but the scale and impact that comes with PHD being part of the larger Omnicom Media Group helps make its case.
PHD’s success is also rooted in how it looks at client relationships as long-term partnerships. Moul harks back to Sico, which has been on a multi-year journey with PHD to bring the brand’s cultural relevance to life. And that journey doesn’t just entail the client. “The magic happens when that ecosystem [of brand, PR, creative and media partners] is working, because everyone involved can see the big, bold, broad ideas. It’s not just one spoke in the wheel doing all that work, it’s how we all come together, and that’s the holy grail we aspire to.”
The Dove “#KeepTheGrey” campaign, which won a Gold in Social Media at the Marketing Awards this year, is a good example. In August 2022, news broke that CTV National News anchor Lisa Laflamme had been let go after 35 years, followed by rumours that her firing was due to her decision to let her hair go grey. Forty-eight hours later, PHD and Unilever’s PR agency, Edelman, launched #KeepTheGrey, with the brand turning its logo silvery-grey, and launching campaigns across Meta and X (formerly Twitter) – making Dove the first Canadian brand to bring attention to the story.
“It was a complex, yet simple, campaign all at the same time,” Moul explains. “It’s complex because, while the situation that catapulted [the campaign idea] is a moment in time,” PHD had to be on top of the media strategy within 24 hours. Changing the colour of a logo seems simple enough, but it involved cooperation and collaboration at a huge scale.
That spirit isn’t innate. It requires constant, ongoing training, which is something she feels also makes PHD unique. “The industry changes so fast that every year we need to reset how we’re going to train our people, and rethink how we can foster the insights that drive innovation,” she adds.
To stay on top of trends and insights, the agency looks to OMG’s data-centric marketing platform Omni, as well as Omnicom Precision Marketing Group’s AI-powered cultural intelligence platform Q. The two units help PHD’s teams focus on long-term ideas and results that are “tied to a brand’s cultural relevance, purpose, and the things we think are important for society,” in addition to short-term sales goals, says Moul. “They allow our whole team to do things in smarter ways.”
New Business
Lipton Teas & Infusions, Guru Energy Drink, LG, Radio-Canada
Offices
Toronto, Montreal
Staff
175
CASES
1. Get back in the game. PHD launched its “#KeepTheGrey” campaign for Dove after news anchor Lisa LaFlamme’s controversial dismissal. It featured a hashtag with the same name, and urged people to change their profile pictures to greyscale in solidarity against ageism in the workplace. Dove even changed its gold logo to grey in protest.
2. Sico’s “Honouring Quebec” campaign by PHD aimed to retain the brand’s connection with Quebecers by associating paint colours with local interests and passions. Dozens of executions, local media collaborations and a Tinder integration emphasized Sico’s affinity and aimed to boost sales.
3. Working with PHD, Scotiabank’s “Hockey For All” aimed to make hockey more inclusive in Canada. Inspired by The Hockey Sweater book, it collaborated with Black creators for The Hockey Jersey, promoting diversity in the sport. Sales supported Hockey 4 Youth, offering free hockey programs for diverse youth.
