CPRS Toronto Celebrates 2018 Achieving Communications Excellence Awards
TORONTO, May 15, 2018 /CNW/ - Last night, CPRS Toronto celebrated its members and the strategic work at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards Gala. The event, held at the Carlu on Yonge Street, hosted more than 380 public relations practitioners from the GTA, acknowledging the successes of Toronto's communications industry.
"The ACE Awards is CPRS Toronto's benchmark event of the year," said Erica Silver, Co-President, CPRS Toronto Chapter. "It was an honour to be surrounded by esteemed and skilled practitioners, representing Toronto's best, in strategic and innovative public relations."
The ACE Awards recognize communications campaigns in diverse categories, including special events, media relations, digital media, marketing communications and student accomplishments. The event concluded with the presentation of the two most prestigious awards: Best PR Campaign of the Year and Best Creative PR Campaign of the year.
Narrative and Casey House took home the trophy for Best PR Campaign of the Year for the Break Bread Smash Stigma campaign, tackling the stigma of HIV with the world's first restaurant with only HIV-positive chefs.
Weber Shandwick and McDonald's Canada were awarded best Creative PR Campaign of the Year for the creativity that brought their Happy Meal Book or Toy Launch campaign to life.
"From start to finish, this is a volunteer initiative, planned by people who want to recognize excellent work by our professional colleagues," explained Nancy MacMillan, ACE Awards Chair, CPRS Toronto Chapter. "The awards honour the outstanding work they do."
The 2018 ACE Award Recipients include:
Best PR Campaign of the Year
- Narrative PR for Casey House: Break Bread Smash Stigma
Best Creative PR Campaign of the Year
- Weber Shandwick for McDonald's Canada for Happy Meal Book or Toy Launch
Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year
- GOLD – ruckus Digital / Walmart Canada for Dinnder – Matching AAA beef to produce
- GOLD – RSA for RSA Gets Personal: building loyalty among a millennial audience
- GOLD – Argyle Public Relationships for OVMA: A Social Media Evolution
- GOLD – Weber Shandwick Canada for McDonald's Canada: Summer Drink Days
- GOLD – DDb Public Relations for Save BC Bears
- GOLD – North Strategic for American Express Canada
- SILVER – Walmart Canada for Walmart Canada 360 Dorm Room
- SILVER – Pfizer Canada Inc. and NATIONAL Public Relations for It's About mBC Time/Parlons Stade 4
- SILVER – Narrative and Bayer Inc. for #MeetTheIUC
- SILVER – Paradigm Public Relations and o.b. for #10000tozero: Reducing Tampon Applicator
- SILVER – Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for #PracticeSafeWork
- BRONZE – Proof Inc. for Grand & Toy: Every Office Needs a Hero
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada for Transitions Sunrise Campaign
- BRONZE – Praxis Strategic Public Relations Inc. for #ThatsBrisk
- BRONZE – GCI Canada and LG Electronics Canada for #LGG6Fam, LG Canada's Influencer Program
- BRONZE – Citizen Relations for Quaker #stopCOMPAREnting
- BRONZE – energi PR and Astellas for #Pucks4Prostate
Best Use of Media Relations (over $50,000)
- GOLD – Narrative for Casey House: Break Bread Smash Stigma
- GOLD – CO–OP for VarageSale Sell Simply, Buy Safely
- GOLD – Newell Rubbermaid and Cohn & Wolfe Canada for Rubbermaid: Long Live Produce!
- GOLD – Walmart Canada and APEX Public Relations for Walmart Fresh Media Relations 2017
- GOLD – Craft Public Relations and GE Appliances Canada for The Launch of GE WiFi Connect
- SILVER – Veritas/YMCA GTA for YMCA GTA: Sweat for Good
- SILVER – Kaiser Lachance Communications for Royal LePage Peak Millennial Survey
- SILVER – Goody and Cohn & Wolfe Canada for Goody: What About Your Hair?
- SILVER – McDonald's Canada for McDonald's Canada ADB Selections Launch
- SILVER – Pomp & Circumstance PR Corp. for Grey Goose Summer 2017
- SILVER – Hunter LaVigne Communications Inc. for Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick Canada, Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd. for The World's Premier Paint Experience
- BRONZE – GOLIN for CLIF Bar for CLIF Nut Butter Filled Launch Campaign
- BRONZE – Kaiser Lachance Communications for The Royal LePage House Price Survey
- BRONZE – McDonald's Canada for McDonald's Canada 50th Anniversary
- BRONZE – Proof Inc. + Loblaw for Inaugural Loblaw Canadian Food Trends
- BRONZE – Citizen Relations & President's Choice for PC #EatTogether
- BRONZE – GCI Canada and LG Electronics Canada for #LGKitchen
- BRONZE – Kwittken & Orangetheory for Orange is the New Fit
Best use of Media Relations (under $50,000)
- GOLD – Craft Public Relations for The Launch of Mad Radish
- SILVER – Accenture Canada for Launch of the Vector Institute for AI
- SILVER – Argyle Public Relationships for OSC Thought Leadership: Science Literacy
- SILVER – Kaiser Lachance Communications for Morguard: Dedication to Best Practices
- SILVER – Kaiser Lachance Communications for National Trust: This Place Matters
- SILVER – Golin for PetSmart Charities of Canada for PetSmart Charities – Pet Therapy Grant
- BRONZE – Kwittken for Invictus Games Toronto 2017 Flag Tour
- BRONZE – Cadillac Fairview for CF Toronto Eaton Centre
- BRONZE – Cohn & Wolfe and Coleman Canada for Coleman Canada Get Outside Day
- BRONZE – Golin for Crayola Canada for Crayola Announces the Retirement of Dandelion on National Crayon Day
Best Use of Special Events
- GOLD – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for Happy Meal Book or Toy Launch
- GOLD – CO-OP for EarthFresh: Nature's Canvas
- GOLD – GOLIN for CLIF Bar for CLIF Bar Nut Butter Filled Media Events
- GOLD – Weber Shandwick Canada, Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd. for The World's Premier Paint Experience
- GOLD – Ezer Mizion and Cohn & Wolfe Canada for Famous Jerusalem Market Visits Toronto
- GOLD – Strategic Objectives and The Pringles Team for Pringles Ketchup Slippery Slide Event
- GOLD – Walmart Canada and APEX Public Relations for Walmart Fresh Graham Elliot Event
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick for Fight IPF Six–Minute Marathon
- SILVER – Narrative for Casey House: Break Bread Smash Stigma
- SILVER – Craft Public Relations and Innis & Gunn for Launch of Innis & Gunn Maple & Thistle
- SILVER – PRAXIS Public Relations for Raise The Macallan
- SILVER – North Strategic for American Express Canada
- SILVER – Pomp & Circumstance PR Corp. for BACARDÍ #SOUNDOFRUM EVENT
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada for McDonald's Canada Festive Menu Launch
- BRONZE – Matte PR Inc. and Hillcrest Mall for Hillcrest Mall Presents the Hello Hillcrest
- BRONZE – Alcon Canada Inc. and Cohn & Wolfe for Lose Your Readers: #AlconKitchenParty
- BRONZE – Golin for KAYAK for KAYAK Announces Top Trending Holiday Destinations with Grant Gameren
- BRONZE – ADP Canada and Kaiser Lachance Communications for ADP Canada NER Launch Event
- BRONZE – Sage Canada and Porter Novelli for Sage Serving Heroes Campaign
- BRONZE – Sheridan College for Welcome Back Break 2017
Brand Development Campaign
- GOLD – Weber Shandwick Canada for #BuickStyle
- GOLD – Hill+Knowlton Strategies for InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG) for IHG Canada 150 Hidden Gems
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for Happy Meal Book or Toy Launch
- SILVER – Citizen Relations & President's Choice for PC #EatTogether
- BRONZE – Citizen Relations and Loblaw Companies Limited for PC Optimum Announcement Launch
Community Relations Campaign of the Year
- GOLD – Kaiser Lachance Communications for National Trust: This Place Matters
- SILVER – energi PR and Astellas for #Pucks4Prostate
- SILVER – Hydro One for Power West Toronto
- BRONZE – Golin for PetSmart and PetSmart Charities of Canada for Buy a Bag, Give a Meal
Crisis or Issues Management Campaign of the Year
- GOLD – Sheridan College for Responding to the Academic Strike 2017
- SILVER – Hydro One
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick Canada for Air Canada Loyalty Announcement
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada for McDonald's Canada: Cyber Attack
Employee Engagement/Internal Communications Campaign of the Year
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for Internal Engagement: McCafé $1 Any Size
- BRONZE – Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for 2018 Kickoff – Internal Communications
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for McDonald's Canada Convention 2017
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for All Day Breakfast: Internal Engagement
Government Relations Campaign of the Year
- SILVER – World Vision Canada for No Child for Sale Campaign
- BRONZE – Aviva for Cash, Crash and Backlash
Investor Relations Campaign of the Year
- BRONZE – Kaiser Lachance Communications for Gibraltar Growth's acquisition of LXR
- BRONZE – Kaiser Lachance Communications and TMSG for Binary Options Awareness Campaign
Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year
- GOLD – Hill+Knowlton Strategies for InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG) for IHG Canada 150 Hidden Gems
- GOLD – Weber Shandwick Canada for Air Canada Loyalty Announcement
- GOLD – Walmart Canada & APEX Public Relations for Walmart Canada Marketing Communications
- GOLD – Paradigm Public Relations for Modernizing Playtex Baby Bottles
- GOLD – Walmart Canada for Walmart Canada Toy Academy
- GOLD – Narrative for Casey House:Break Bread Smash Stigma
- GOLD – DDB Public Relations for Save BC Bears
- GOLD – Argyle Public Relationships for A taste of Spain: persiMon fruit
- GOLD – DDB Public Relations for Canadian Cheese. Crafted with Creativity
- GOLD – DDB Public Relations for Dairy Farmers of Canada : Pour a Tall Cold One
- SILVER – Cohn & Wolfe and Coleman Canada for Coleman Canada Get Outside Day
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick Canada, Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd. for The World's Premier Paint Experience
- SILVER – Paradigm, Edgewell Personal Care, Wavemaker for Schick Quattro YOU "Story Of Your Year"
- SILVER – VarageSale Sell Simply, Buy Safely for VarageSale Sell Simply, Buy Safely
- SILVER – North Strategic for American Express Canada
- SILVER – Argyle Public Relationships for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick for Fight IPF Six–Minute Marathon
- SILVER – McDonald's Canada for McDonald's Canada All Day Breakfast
- SILVER – TTC for #ThisIsWhere
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for McDonald's Canada 50th Anniversary
- BRONZE – Weber Shandwick Canada for MS From the Inside Out
- BRONZE – Invictus Games Toronto 2017 for Invictus Games: A Games to a Movement
- BRONZE – GCI Canada and Mattel Canada Inc. for You Can Be Anything with Barbie®
- BRONZE – GCI Canada and LG Electronics Canada for #LGKitchen
New Product or Service Launch Campaign of the Year
- GOLD – Craft Public Relations for The Launch of Nintendo Switch in Canada
- GOLD – Kwittken Canada for A Rise to Breakfast Occasion
- GOLD – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for Celebrating the launch of McDelivery
- SILVER – Craft Public Relations for The Launch of Innis and Gunn
- SILVER – Craft Public Relations and GE Appliances Canada for The launch of GE Wifi Connect
- SILVER – Weber Shandwick Canada & McDonald's Canada for McDonald's Canada All Day Breakfast Launch
- SILVER – Strategic Objectives and the Pringles Team for Pringles Ketchup Chip Launch
- SILVER – Golin for CLIF Bar for CLIF Nut Butter Filled Launch Campaign
- SILVER – The Colony Project and Hyundai Canada for Hyundai Ultimate Date
- BRONZE – ADP Canada and Kaiser Lachance for Launch of the ADP Canada NER
- BRONZE – North Strategic for American Express Canada
Student Public Relations Communications Plan of the Year
- SILVER – Centennial College – Sport Knows No Bounds
- SILVER – Massial's Communications Strategy Plan
- SILVER – Centennial College - Find Your Sport
- BRONZE – Centennial College - Your City, Your Way
Leadership Awards
- The Lois Marsh Award
- Mark Lavigne
- Students of the Year
- Fiona Pswarayi, Humber College
- Jorielle Nunag, Centennial College
SOURCE Canadian Public Relations Society
Robin Smith, [email protected]
Share this article