CANADA'S BEST PR CAMPAIGNS WIN BIG AT CPRS AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

MONT TREMBLANT, QC, June 11, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is pleased to reveal the recipients of seventy-two Awards of Excellence presented at last night's "Elevate" national conference gala, in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. 

"On behalf of the Board of Directors of CPRS, I want to congratulate all our Award of Excellence winners," said Claire Ryan, MCM, APR, National President of CPRS. "With submissions coming from across the country, and from many different industries, it is truly an honour to be recognized at these awards."

Celebrated annually, the CPRS Awards of Excellence showcase the best public relations and communications management projects and campaigns. The award categories range from traditional public relations campaigns, to work with influencers, digital campaigns and diversity, equity and inclusion.

In-house PR teams from municipalities and brands won Gold in several categories, while PR and communications agencies topped the list of winners; Weber Shandwick took home 13 awards for clients such as Coca Cola, McDonald's Canada, Air Canada, and McAfee.

"All of the winners should be very proud of what they've accomplished; we hope their trophies remind them of their hard work and dedication," said Ms Ryan.

CPRS National is pleased to announce the following winners of the 2024 Awards of Excellence:

Brand Development Campaign of the Year
Bronze: Craft Public Relations & MadeGood: "Share Some Good" Campaign

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign
Gold: Craft Public Relations & GE Appliances: "Changing the Future of Soccer" Campaign
Silver: Weber Shandwick & McDonald's Canada: "McHappy Day" Campaign
Bronze: Weber Shandwick & Ronald McDonald House Canada: "It's National Cookie Day" Campaign 
Bronze: Weber Shandwick & McDonald's Canada: "Season of Giving" Campaign

Best Influencer Campaign
Silver: Weber Shandwick & McDonald's Canada: "Employer Reputation" Campaign
Bronze: Edelman & Knorr's: "Yummy K's" Campaign 

Best Integrated Communications
Gold: Whitby Communications and Creative Services Team: "Whitby Community Strategic Plan"
Silver: Northern Ontario School of Medicine University: "The Future Will See You Now" Campaign
Silver: Weber Shandwick & Air Canada: "More to Travel" Campaign
Bronze: Allen Institute: "What Makes Us Human: Unveiling the First Draft of the Whole Human Brain Cell Atlas" Program
Bronze: Proof Communications & the Electrical Safety Authority: "Don't Risk It, Hire an LEC" Campaign

Best Non-Profit/NGO Campaign
Gold: Proof Communications & the Electrical Safety Authority: "Don't Risk It, Hire an LEC" Campaign
Silver: Argyle & National Association of Friendship Centres: "Pediatric Vaccine and Booster" Campaign
Silver: St. Mary's General Hospital Foundation: "St. Mary's Wish Book" Campaign
Bronze: Allen Institute: "What Makes Us Human: Unveiling the First Draft of the Whole Human Brain Cell Atlas" Program

Best Reputation Management Campaign
Silver: Kelart Communications & La Grande Roue de Montreal: "Rebâtir la Confiance après un Drame: Stratégie et Gestion de Crise" Campaign
Bronze: Bank of Montreal Communications and Social Impact Group: "From LD1 to CD1: Bank of the West Becomes BMO" Campaign

Canadian Issues / Crisis Management Campaign of the Year
Silver: Jiana Lang & the Vancouver School Board

Best Use of Media Relations - Large Budget (+ $50,000) 
Bronze: Edelman & IKEA: "Scarborough, Meet[ball] IKEA" Campaign

Best Use of Media Relations – Medium Budget ($10,000 - $50,000)
Gold: Capital Image / ITHQ: "Réouverture de l'Hôtel de l'ITHQ" Campaign
Gold: Argyle & Crumbl: "Crumbl Comes to Canada" Campaign
Bronze: Sleep Country Canada and Kaiser & Partners: "Quarterly Earnings Media Relations Campaign 2023" Campaign

Best Use of Media Relations – Small Budget (less than $10,000)
Bronze: Allen Institute: "What Makes Us Human" Campaign

Canadian Advocacy and Social Marketing Campaign of the Year
Gold: Argyle & Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police: "Gang Life in No Life" Campaign
Silver: Weber Shandwick & Love and Nudes: "The Stage Zero Collection" Campaign 
Silver: Weber Shandwick & HomeEquity Bank: "PSW Day: Access, Affordability & Action" Campaign
Bronze: UBC Faculty of Medicine Office of Creative & Communications
Special Mention: Rethink & YWCA: "Concussion Story" Campaign
Special Mention: Rethink & Scotiabank: "Pride Tape for All" Campaign

Canadian Digital Communications Campaign of the Year
Gold: Proof Strategies: "Fancy Feast Savoury Cravings 'Power of the Purr" Campaign
Gold: Knorr & Edelman: "Yummy K's" Campaign
Silver: Zeno Group & Barilla Canada: "Growing Differentiation through Barilla Moda" Campaign
Bronze: Julia Le & Jeff Smalley from the Town of Oakville

Canadian Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Campaign of the Year
Silver: Publicis Groupe Canada & CEE Centre For Young Black Professionals: "Who I Really Am" Campaign
Bronze: Rethink & Nestle Canada: "Iftar Bar" Campaign

New Product or Service Launch
Gold: Craft Public Relations & Nintendo of Canada: "The Canadian Launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" Campaign
Silver: Weber Shandwick & McDonald's Canada: "Chicken Big Mac" Campaign

Canadian Health Care Campaign of the Year
Silver: Weber Shandwick Canada and Love & Nudes: "Stage Zero Collection" Campaign
Bronze: Northern Health: "GoHealth BC Travel Nurse Program: Find Your Fit" Campaign

Canadian Government Relations Campaign of the Year
Gold: Paradigm & Insurance Bureau of Canada: "When thieves steal, we all pay" Campaign
Silver: Weber Shandwick & Rainbow Railroad: "#SafeWay Out" Campaign

Canadian Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year
Gold: Craft Public Relations & Tim Hortons: "Tim Hortons: The Canadian Launch of Dream Cookies" Campaign
Silver: Edelman & IKEA Canada: "Scarborough, Meet[ball] IKEA!" Campaign
Bronze: Proof Strategies & Electrical Safety Authority: "Don't Risk It – Hire an LEC" Campaign

Employee Engagement and Internal Communications Campaign of the Year
Gold: Bank of Montreal: "BMO, Communications & Social Impact. From LD1 to CD1: Bank of the West Becomes BMO" Campaign
Silver: OMERS & Oxford Properties: "The Omers & Oxford Privacy Pursuit: WHODUNIT?" Campaign 
Bronze: Proof Strategies & Novo Nordisk Canada: "Novo Nordisk 100th Anniversary - Driving Change for Generations" Campaign

External Communications
Gold: Hamilton Community Foundation: "Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund"
Silver: Weber Shandwick & OLG: "LOTTO 6/49: Gold Ball" Campaign
Bronze: Jiana Ling & Vancouver School Board

Best In Show
Gold: GE Appliances Canada & Craft Public Relations: "Changing the Future of Soccer" Campaign
Silver: NOSM University: "The Future Will See You Now"

Best Creativity & Innovation
Gold: CEE Centre For Young Black Professionals & Publicis Groupe Canada: "Who I Really Am" Campaign

Best Sustainable Development
Gold: Cooke Inc: "Cultivating Career Connections" Campaign

Best Special Events Projects
Gold: Craft Public Relations & Reitmans: "Fall for Reitmans" Project
Gold: PRAXIS Public Relations Inc. & Alberta Distillers Limited: "Rye Whisky Academy Ranch" Project
Gold: Weber Shandwick Canada & The Coca-Cola Company: "The Replay Arcade" Project
Silver: Katelyn Pretzlaff of Alberta Blue Cross: 2023 Block Party

Best Publication
Gold: UBC Faculty of Medicine, Office of Creative & Communications
Silver: McAfee & Weber Shandwick: Artificial Imposter
Bronze: Cooke Inc: Cooke Newsletter - Fall 2023

Best Multimedia Project
Bronze: Jiana Ling & the Vancouver School Board

In House Team of the Year
Gold: Alberta Blue Cross Corporate Communications
Silver: Hamilton Community Foundation: Community Relations Department
Bronze: Atlantic Lottery Public Relations and Communications Team

Agency Team of the Year – Small
Gold: Coldwater Communications

Agency Team of the Year – Medium
Gold: Craft Public Relations
Silver: Rethink
Bronze: Brandish Agency

Agency Team of the Year – Large
Silver:  Le Cabinet de relations publiques NATIONAL
Bronze: Proof Strategies

About CPRS

Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society is a not-for-profit association of professionals dedicated to the practice, management, and teaching of public relations and communications. Comprising 13 local societies, CPRS' mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development, accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, a commitment to ethics and a code of professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support to members at every stage of their careers.

Cision is the official distribution partner of the Canadian Public Relations Society - National.

SOURCE Canadian Public Relations Society

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