Bell Media and ICA Launch the Inaugural Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity in Advertising (IDEA) Competition with $1 Million Yearly Prize
– Competition welcomes entries in English and French showcasing diversity in front of and behind the camera –
TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - Bell Media, in partnership with the Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA), announced today the launch of the inaugural Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity in Advertising (IDEA) competition. The campaign that best demonstrates a clear message of diversity and inclusion will receive $1 million worth of media inventory on Bell Media platforms each year.
Open to national and international brands and their agencies and evaluated by a panel of diverse judges, the competition seeks ground-breaking work that celebrates diversity through advertising.
"The ICA believes that not only is diversity and inclusion a global business imperative, but that it's a growth-driving narrative for Canadian brands and companies," said Scott Knox, the President and CEO of the ICA. "We're excited to announce this unique media partnership between the ICA and Bell Media and the launch of the inaugural IDEA competition in order to bring awareness to diversity as business strategy."
"We are committed to creating meaningful change in our industry, and this competition aims to encourage greater representation of diverse communities in Canadian media," said Randy Lennox, President of Bell Media. "We have been working to create a new roadmap for the industry, one that recognizes the added value of BIPOC presence and expertise, and the IDEA completion is one more opportunity to showcase the value of inclusion."
Creators of the winning entry will have access to the full range of Bell Media's platforms - TV, radio, out-of-home, and digital – to execute their $1 million campaign in 2021. Details on how to enter will be announced in November, with the winner announced later this winter.
Entries are required to be new creative executions in English and French, and require that diverse producers, directors, writers, and crew contribute significantly to the campaign beyond on-camera talent. Entrants must also commit to demonstrating, as part of their submission, that inclusion and diversity are components across all of their advertising, even when not the key message.
"Our goal is to get more diverse representation in advertising campaigns, while encouraging diversity and inclusivity in the creative process," said Justin Stockman, Vice-President, Brand Partnerships, Bell Media. "We're looking forward to the launch of the IDEA competition and we hope it becomes an annual event, highlighting different equity-seeking communities each year."
In line with the ICA's belief in the importance of attracting diverse new talent into advertising, additional judging consideration will be given for entrants that include mentorship opportunities as part of their production to provide experience and build the pipeline of new diverse talent.
The IDEA Competition builds on the broader IDEA initiative, launched in 2017 by the ICA, to promote inclusivity, diversity, and equity in advertising. An earlier supporter of the program, Bell Media participated in ICA's IDEA Summit at TIFF in 2018 with the theme "How Diversity of Thought Leads to Powerful Storytelling", featuring THE SOCIAL's Melissa Grelo.
Brands and their agencies can register to receive more information about entering the IDEA Competition at this link.
About the Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA)
The ICA is the not-for-profit association for Canadian advertising, marketing, media, and public relations agencies. ICA's mission is to Amplify, Protect and Transform the agency sector through advocacy, awards, community, consultancy, insight, networking, research and training. ICA membership and board of directors represent some of the most recognized and influential businesses in our industry, both in Canada and internationally.
About Bell Media
Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, digital media, and more. Bell Media owns 35 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network, and the French-language Noovo network in Québec; 29 specialty channels, including leading specialty services TSN and RDS. Bell Media is Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 215 music channels including 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across the country, all part of the iHeartRadio brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000 faces in five provinces. The country's digital media leader, Bell Media develops and operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news and entertainment brands; video streaming services Crave, TSN Direct, and RDS Direct; and multi-channel network Much Studios. The company owns a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios; is a partner in Just for Laughs, the live comedy event and TV producer; and jointly owns Dome Productions Partnership., one of North America's leading production facilities providers. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.
SOURCE Bell Media
Scott Knox, President & CEO, ICA, [email protected], (437)-350-1436; Patricia Garcia, Bell Media Communications, [email protected], 416-302-9318
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