The 2012 Grand Prix Créa is awarded to Vidéotron and Sid Lee for the Prank Calls campaign!

MONTREAL, March 29, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - This year, the Grand Prix Créa, which recognizes Quebec's best advertisement of the year, has been awarded to the Sid Lee agency for Vidéotron's English-language Prank Calls campaign.

Aimed at showing its customer-service employees' patience and efficiency, while also mentioning the company's various services, the campaign starred comedian Sugar Sammy. In each spot, he called customer service with a bizarre problem designed to test the employees' abilities while highlighting a particular aspect of Vidéotron's services. "The writing and direction are perfect," the jury explained. "Because Sugar Sammy delivers the goods so masterfully, viewers understand everything and laugh a lot."

Campaigns that stand out!

For the seventh annual Créa Awards, 21 Grand Prix and 62 Prix have been awarded. In all, 16 agencies won awards. Lg2 is the big winner, with nine Grands Prix and 27 Prix, including three Grands Prix and three Prix for a Quebec Health department campaign designed to fight gambling addiction, and a sweep of the Prix in both Radio categories (radio advertising and public service announcements).

This year's outstanding agencies also include Sid Lee, with six Grands Prix and nine Prix. Third-place Bos won two Grands Prix and seven Prix. Commun and Zip each took a Grand Prix and a Prix, putting them in a tie for fourth. Tuxedo, Baillat Cardell & fils and Iregular each won a Grand Prix, while Cossette won seven Prix.

The seventh annual gala for Quebec's communications and advertising industry, organized by Les Éditions Infopresse, was attended by 1,500 industry professionals, who gathered at Place des Arts to celebrate and reward creativity.

Advertising luminaries recognized

The jury also awarded two Grands Prix Créa to industry professionals who distinguished themselves this year.

• Acting: Sugar Sammy (Prank Calls, Vidéotron), Sid Lee
• Photography: Jean Malek (Lit, Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec), BCP

Créa 2012 jury

President

• Pascal de Decker, vice president and creative director, Palm+Havas

Members

• Étienne Bastien, vice president and creative director, BCP
• Sébastien Rivest, copywriter, Bos
• Kristian Manchester, creative director and partner, Sid Lee
• Dominic Trudeau, executive creative director, Taxi
• Jean-François Bernier, president and creative director, Alfred
• Philippe Comeau, creative director, Lg2
• Carle Coppens, vice president and creative director, Brad
• Anne-Claude Chénier, associate creative director, Cossette

The April issue of Infopresse magazine, with details about every winning advertisement, arrives on newsstands March 30. Full results are also available at concourscrea.com.

Créa is organized in association with the Association of Quebec Advertising Agencies, in collaboration with Astral Out of Home and Les Enfants, with the participation of Côté Nord Tremblant, Société Perrier and Vision Globale. The advertising campaign was produced by Palm+Havas, in collaboration with Visual Box and Zëta Production.

Arnaud Granata, vice president, director of content and editor-in-chief for Éditions Infopresse, as well as representatives of Vidéotron and Sid Lee, will be available for interviews.

Video with caption: "Video from the Vidéotron & Sid Lee Prank calls campaign ". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120329_C8889_VIDEO_EN_11713.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120329_C8889_PHOTO_EN_11713.jpg&clientName=EDITIONS%20INFOPRESSE%20INC&caption=Video%20from%20the%20Vid%26%23233%3Botron%20%26%20Sid%20Lee%20Prank%20calls%20campaign%0D%0A&title=EDITIONS%20INFOPRESSE%20INC%20%2D%202012%20Grand%20Prix%20Cr%26%23233%3Ba&headline=The%202012%20Grand%20Prix%20Cr%26%23233%3Ba%20is%20awarded%20to%20Vid%26%23233%3Botron%20and%20Sid%20Lee%20for%20the%20Prank%20Calls%20campaign%21

Video with caption: "Three videos from the Vidéotron & Sid Lee Prank calls campaign". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120329_C8889_VIDEO_EN_11714.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120329_C8889_PHOTO_EN_11714.jpg&clientName=EDITIONS%20INFOPRESSE%20INC&caption=Three%20videos%20from%20the%20Vid%26%23233%3Botron%20%26%20Sid%20Lee%20Prank%20calls%20campaign&title=EDITIONS%20INFOPRESSE%20INC%20%2D%202012%20Grand%20Prix%20Cr%26%23233%3Ba&headline=The%202012%20Grand%20Prix%20Cr%26%23233%3Ba%20is%20awarded%20to%20Vid%26%23233%3Botron%20and%20Sid%20Lee%20for%20the%20Prank%20Calls%20campaign%21

Source:  Éditions Infopresse

Information:

Catherine Boulay
Éditions Infopresse
[phone], ext. 2228
[e-mail]

Audrey Paris
DIRECTION Communications stratégiques 
[phone], ext. 3
[email protected]