Upfront
Nissan’s holographic showroom
The car co offers consumers a high-tech glimpse at its new models.
Target to bring Archer Farms, Market Pantry and Up and Up to Canada
The retail giant is set to compete with the likes of Loblaw and Sobey’s through its private label grocery and household lines.
Editorial
Editorial: Right smart
Strategy‘s executive editor on why effectiveness remains undeniably linked to creativity.
Upfront
Brand cupid
From diamonds and wine to bacon bouquets, Strategy plays brand matchmaker ahead of Valentine’s Day.
NFC tagged as trending
The technology is poised to break big in 2013.
CASSIES: Cundari wins Creative Effectiveness
Pain Squad nabs Globe Effectiveness Prize.
Rank the zombies
The “Undeading” goes up against “Goopocalypse.”
Unilever ramps up guy grooming
The brand unveils a new line called Face Range.
H&M completes the clothing loop
The retailer will recycle donated clothes as second hand offerings.
Features
Marketing’s mobile-first future
Media buyers react to signs mobile is ready to realize its potential as an ad channel.
Beer borrows vineyard techniques
Amid falling sales for mass brands and increased competition from craft beers, wine and spirits, the big beer cos copied a page out of wine marketers’ handbooks.
Mobile: who’s doing it best
Industry experts weigh in on their favourite mobile-related executions, apps or campaigns of the past year.
The CASSIES
The 2013 CASSIES winners revealed
Read all about the winners of the only Canadian awards to recognize business effectiveness proven by rigorous published cases.
CASSIES: Judges
Meet the judging panel for the 2013 CASSIES.
CASSIES Grand Prix: AutoTrader boasts the most cars in one place
An online reimagination saves the brand from an existential threat.
CASSIES Gold: Zellers’ festive finale
Shoppers take charge of the retailer’s final holiday sale to soaring success.
CASSIES Gold: SickKids transforms pain into play
Gaming and cop show stars solve a treatment problem.
CASSIES Gold: Budweiser’s fan brew
The brewer crafts celebratory suds for the Winnipeg Jets’ return and gets national mileage.
CASSIES Gold: BMW Canada’s 1M launch
The car co recaptures its top performer status with thrilling high-speed videos.
CASSIES Gold: EOS reinvents lip balm
The indie brand storms the U.S. lip balm category to deliver outstanding results.
CASSIES Gold: El Tabador boosts Koodo
A tiny Mexican wrestler body slams the telco competition.
CASSIES Gold: Plan Canada’s girl power
Hopeful messages conquer a tough environment for cause-related marketing.
CASSIES Silver: Mitsubishi cures electric fears
i-MiEV’s digital push tackles purchase barrier.
CASSIES Silver: MTS rolls out Morty 2.0
The beloved bison returns to lead a brand turnaround.
CASSIES Silver: Larsen relaunches a local favourite
Atlantic Canada welcomes home a prodigal wiener.
CASSIES Silver: Oreo’s two cultures
Canadian-created TV serves up a “Twist, Lick and Dunk” home run.
CASSIES Silver: Heart & Stroke makes death wait
The non-profit’s haunting message alerts Canadians to the risks of heart disease.
CASSIES Silver: Activia returns to feeling its best
The yogurt brand diagnoses digestive health as the key to reviving its sales.
CASSIES Silver: Hellmann’s grants real food wishes
The Unilever brand strengthens family and community ties.
CASSIES Silver: Gatorade’s G Series packs a wallop
The three-step system performed beyond expectations thanks to staggered launch.
CASSIES Silver: Home Depot goes local to win Quebec
The home renovation retailer created unscripted moments to take second spot in the province.
CASSIES Silver: Ikea’s moving day
The humble cardboard box hits the street, putting the retailer centre stage in Quebec.
CASSIES Silver: Maple Leaf quells sliced meat concerns
Making heroes out of butchers helps the brand’s additive-free line win over moms.
CASSIES Silver: Wiser’s welcomes and wins over recruits
Loyalty to the brand’s club for uncompromising men continues to pay off.
CASSIES Silver: Mini’s big decade
The little car’s irreverent attitude has driven success over the long haul in Canada.
Creative Report Card
The 2013 Creative Report Card
Strategy unveils its rankings of big winners at international, national and regional advertising award shows. Leo Burnett and BBDO top the agency list, while P&G and Wrigley are the top advertisers.
Creative Report Card: Brand winner
P&G breaks from tradition to nab top honours.
Creative Report Card: Brand runner-up
Wrigley’s scores big gains in Canadian market share.
Creative Report Card: Agency winner
Mastery of film propelled BBDO to top spot.
Creative Report Card: CD winners and runner-up
The pair from BBDO share how luck played into their win.
Creative Report Card: Agency runner-up
Leo Burnett’s skill in OOH helped boost its spot in the rankings.
Creative Report Card: Art and copy winners
Steve Persico & Anthony Chelvanathan of Leo Burnett reveal their not-so-secret sauce for success.
Creative Report Card: Art and copy runners-up
The award-winning duo Chris Joakim and Mike Donaghey offer advice from their new roles across the pond.
Creative Report Card: Movers and shakers
Canada’s fastest-rising agencies, Draftfcb and Cundari, share their winning creativity secrets.
Creative Report Card: Best of the (regional) bunch
Who stole the show where? A quick glance at Canada’s regional award galas and their big winners.
Creative Report Card: Methodology
How do we arrive at the rankings for our annual Creative Report Card? Read on to find out.
Creative Report Card: Big campaign winners
Beyond Cundari’s Pain Squad, who racked up award stage frequent flyer miles for a single campaign this year?
Creative Report Card: Advertisers full list
Read on to find out which award-winning brands made it into this year’s Creative Report Card.
Creative Report Card: Agencies full list
Did your agency make the cut this year? Strategy lists Canada’s top shops.
Creative Report Card: Creative directors full list
To find out which CDs made the grade this year, read on.
Creative Report Card: Art directors full list
For a complete listing of Canada’s award-winning ADs in the 2013 Creative Report Card, read on.
Creative Report Card: Copywriters full list
Strategy lists the top wordsmiths that pulled in the most hardware at award shows this year.
The CASSIES
CASSIES Bronze: Boston Pizza scores with all-meat wings
The restaurant chain re-invents the boneless chicken wing amid much fanfare.
CASSIES Bronze: Bell gets people talking
The telco breaks the taboo around discussing mental health.
CASSIES Bronze: Mountain Dew charges back onto the scene
The PepsiCo drink comes back with a bang.
CASSIES Bronze: Quebec Pork producers campaign for change
Fédération des producteurs de porcs du Québec touts healthy pedigree of local meat.
CASSIES Bronze: Western Union taps holiday traditions
The money transfer company spreads Christmas cheer with virtual card stores.
CASSIES Bronze: Ikea brings it home
A refocus on home being where the heart is revives sales.
CASSIES Bronze: Lottery invites Atlantic Canadians to ask away
Transparency pays off in an effort to change public opinion about the lotto.
CASSIES Bronze: Scotties thinks outside the box
The tissue brand designs its way to the top.
CASSIES Bronze: TD gets comfortable
Grumpy old men help build the most valuable brand in Canada.
CASSIES Bronze: It’s all good for McCain
The food manufacturer ditches unpronounceable ingredients for real ones.
CASSIES Bronze: President’s Choice gets personal
The private label casts its chairman in a food-supporting role.
CASSIES Bronze: Boston Pizza introduces finger cooking
The restaurant chain targets men with a fool-proof cooking program.
Forum
Why analysis and creativity are inseparable
Ken Wong on why brands should never use advertising to put lipstick on a pig.
Back Page
Back page: Honest business cards for advertisers
Grip Limited on what agency folks really do at work.
Forum
Preventing death by yes
The short-term gain of agreeing to everything eventually leads to mediocrity, writes Nancy Vonk.
