Humber College Team wins ASC's Student PSA Creative Competition

TORONTO, April 16, 2014 /CNW/ - Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) is pleased to announce the winners of ASC's 2014 Student PSA Creative Competition: Truth in Advertising Matters. From January 7^th to March 11^th, teams of students across Canada were putting their ideas and their skills to the test in order to tell Canadians that Truth in Advertising Matters.

ASC congratulates the Humber College Team of Daniel Berard, William Fornuff, Hameeda Hashim and Danish Ehsan as the first prize scholarship award winner. Their concept was rated highest by a panel that included some of Canada's top advertising experts. Teams from Red River College, Université du Québec à Montréal, York University (Schulich School) and a second from Humber College were also in the top five. 

"We appreciate the extraordinary efforts of our talented student competitors and applaud their creativity," said Linda J. Nagel, President and CEO of Advertising Standards Canada. "We thank all those who entered, as well as the faculty from educational institutions across the country, for their support of the initiative."

The competition, which just-concluded, invited students from Canadian post-secondary institutions to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign around the theme Truth in Advertising Matters that builds awareness of ASC and the advertising industry's commitment to advertising that is truthful, fair and accurate.

The competition was open to full-time students currently enrolled at a Canadian university, college or other post-secondary institution in a marketing, advertising, communications, media, design or related program. Students could enter the competition on their own or in a team of up to four members. Teams had to submit creative content for television, radio, and print or online, as well as a video introduction explaining their approach.

The five top-ranked teams received scholarship awards ranging from $10,000 for first place to $1,500 for fifth place. The nationwide competition was developed to reach and teach the next generation of the advertising industry about the importance of standards for advertising and the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (Code).

In all, forty-three entries were submitted by students across the country. All submissions that met an initial screening against the competition criteria were posted online for public voting. The finalists were then evaluated by an expert panel of judges. The competition creative can be found at truthinadmatters.ca

With so many outstanding submissions, the judges had their work cut out for them. The judging panel included:

• Dom Caruso, President & Chief Operating Officer, Leo Burnett Canada
• Patrick Dickinson, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Hudson's Bay Company
• Nicolas Faucher, Vice President and Publisher, Métro Montréal, TC Media
• Marie-Josée Lamothe
• Raymonde Lavoie, Présidente, DesArts Communication Inc.
• Nancy Marcus, Corporate Vice President, Marketing, Kruger Products L.P.
• Tony Miller, Executive Creative Director, Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle
• Jani Yates (Convener of Judging), President, Institute of Communication Agencies
• Linda J. Nagel (non-voting Chair of Judging), President and CEO, Advertising Standards Canada

"Truth and accuracy are essential to the advertising industry," said competition judge Tony Miller, Executive Creative Director, Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle. "The judges were impressed by the many approaches students took in communicating the importance of truth in advertising to Canadians. We see many bright futures ahead."

Competition Winners                             

1. Humber College:

• Daniel Berard
• William Fornuff
• Hameeda Hashim
• Danish Ehsan

2. Red River College:

• Sara Wasiuta
• Rebecca Henderson
• Audrey Neale
• Stefanie Cutrona

3. Université du Québec à Montréal:

• Andréanne Gélinas-Harvey
• Guillaume Savard
• Camile Poulin

4. Humber College:

• Kiley Woodland
• Sarah Schmitt
• Michael Murchison
• Jayme Fairbridge

5. York University (Schulich School):

• Samantha Consiglio
• Matt Sison

Advertising Standards Canada 
Founded in 1957, ASC is the national independent advertising industry self-regulatory body committed to fostering public confidence in advertising. ASC members – leading advertisers, advertising agencies, media and suppliers to the advertising industry – are committed to supporting responsible and effective advertising self-regulation. A not-for-profit organization, ASC administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada, and a national mechanism for accepting and responding to consumers' complaints about advertising.

SOURCE: Advertising Standards Canada

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