In a first for FCB – and only the second time in strategy‘s history – the agency claimed not one, but two Grand Prix titles at the annual Strategy Awards on Tuesday evening.
One of the top accolades was given to the agency for its work with BMO, under the “NXT NXT LVL” platform. An extension of the brand’s original “NXT LVL” campaign, the winning work saw BMO take the strategy to the next level – literally – by allowing Twitch users to bank with an advisor directly via the platform.
The second coveted Grand Prix is shared with long-time client, Canadian Down Syndrome Society. FCB worked with the Calgary-based nonprofit on the winning work, which included the very-first “employment network for people with Down syndrome” and was launched in partnership with Linkedin. Called “Inployable,” the platform aggregated willing employees for prospective employers to search, and also included resources for companies to better train, hire and interview individuals from the Down syndrome community.
All in all, 15 Golds were presented to agencies and brands on Tuesday evening in Toronto, alongside 21 Silver and 12 Bronze.
The most-medaled agency of the night was FCB, with thirteen Strategy Awards in total, of which seven were Gold, four Silver, as well as the aforementioned double-Grand Prix. Second to top the medal list was Rethink, which took home ten awards: three Gold, six Silver, and one Bronze. And rounding out the top three was Courage with five trophies: one Gold, one Silver and three more Bronze.
Gold-winning brands included Coors Light, Heinz Ketchup and the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (led by Rethink); BMO and the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (FCB); Stok’d Cannabis (Angry Butterfly); KitKat (Courage); IKEA (Edelman); and the Toronto Star (Leo Burnett).
The evening also saw long-time advertising and marketing leader Tracey Cooke being awarded the Gold Medal Award, a lifetime acheivement honour that’s given to a industry giant by the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA). She was recognized primarily for her contributions to Nestle’s portfolio of brands, as well as the advancement of marketing communications in Canada.
To see the full list of winners, plus case studies, the jury panel and more information about the program, visit the Strategy Awards website.