“Broccoli is the vegetable that pits parents and children against each other. On one hand, it’s one of the vegetables kids hate the most. On the other, it’s revered by parents—it’s green and it’s nutritious. We all know that the mere sight of broccoli on a plate can lead to outbursts at the dinner table” said Anne-Claude Chénier, VP of Creative Advertising at Cossette.

Nonetheless, most young children still aren’t convinced of the virtues of broccoli. But online users seem to be on board—since it was launched, the contest has created a buzz on Super C’s social platforms, where expressions of love and support for broccoli abound.

Anyone who wants to try their luck (and delight their kids) has until July 31 to enter the contest.

]

Credits

Advertiser: Super C
Agency: Cossette
Creative: Anne-Claude Chénier, Geneviève Duquette, Annik Tremblay-Meunier, Marc Lessard
Strategy: Michel-Alex Lessard
Product: Olivier Charbonneau, Catherine Desjardins
Media agency: Touché!
Production house: Septième
Post-production : Septième
Sound: Apollo Studios

About Cossette

Cossette is a community of more than 700 creative humans, bringing together experts from all disciplines to offer integrated brand experiences unlike any other.

Over the past 50 years, Cossette has expanded from coast to coast and has become the top agency in Canada. With offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, teams act locally but have a global impact. Thanks to its work for powerful, high-potential brands, Cossette was named Canada’s Agency of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

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For more information:
Roxanne Chaudier
514 827-8315
roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com

Working with Cossette, the brand has released a video to draw attention to the issue of high fares and lack of competition. The brand also recently debuted a new visual identity on its website as it continues to target investors and build awareness in the market. 

“Canadians pay among the highest airfares in the world and we’re the only developed country without an ULCC as two high cost airlines control approximately 85% of the market.” says Javier Suarez, CEO for Jetlines. “We know Canadians are fed up as over five million Canadians cross over to the US each year to fly on US low-cost carriers. We’re urging them to go online and to show their support for more competition in Canada”.

While several low-cost players have attempted to enter the Canadian market, so far, Canada’s Competition Bureau has done little to support new carriers.

“Through their dynamic new brand positioning and this epic protest, Jetlines is positioning itself as an airline that isn’t afraid to take on the status quo for its customers,” says Katie Ainsworth, Executive Creative Director at Cossette.

Jetlines is a publicly-traded company, backed by a management team and board of directors with extensive experience in the low-cost airline industry. They expect to launch operations this year and have agreements in place with Canadian and International Airports. The launch of airline operations is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and completion of financing. 

Credits

Client:  Canada Jetlines
Agency: Cossette
Executive Creative Director: Katie Ainsworth
Creative Director: Scott Schneider
Senior Art Director: Kelsey Hughes
Copywriter: Jono Saye
Senior Producer: Aishaa Abdulla,
Group Account Director: Edward, Vaughan-Hughes,
Account Director: Karen Kenny
Account Supervisor: Arantza Belaustegui
Strategist: Jared Gill
Videographer/Editor: David McDonald
Media Agency: Cossette Media
PR: front + centre

About Canada Jetlines Ltd.

Canada Jetlines is set to become Canada’s first true Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier (ULCC) airline, with plans to operate flights across Canada and provide non-stop service from Canada to the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Company plans to commence operations with the Airbus A320 fleet, the most widely used aircraft for ultra-low-cost carriers worldwide. Jetlines is led by a board and management team with extensive experience and expertise in low-cost airlines, start-ups and capital markets. The Company was granted an unprecedented exemption from the Government of Canada that will permit it to conduct domestic air services while having up to 49% foreign voting interests.

Jetlines ability to sell tickets and launch airline service remains subject to the completion of the airline licensing process, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and the completion of financing. For more information on Jetlines, please visit www.jetlines.com.

About Cossette

Cossette is a community of more than 700 creative humans, gathering experts across all disciplines to offer integrated brand experiences unlike any other.

Over the past 50 years, Cossette has expanded, coast to coast and become the top agency in Canada. With offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, teams act locally, with global impact. Thanks to its work for powerful, high-potential brands, Cossette was named Agency of the Year in the country in 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

View the Protest in the Sky video here

For more information:
Kali Pearson
416-669-9164
kali.pearson@cossette.com

Bernard Paquet was one of Cossette’s founders in 1972, and our agency’s success was an achievement that filled him with pride throughout his life. He remained a strong supporter of Cossette for many years after leaving the agency and always held us dear to his heart. When he visited our Québec City office just a few weeks ago, he was immensely proud to point himself out in the photo of the founders on display there. 

Bernard helped to launch Cossette after studying in graphic design and interior design. From the start, he played a key role in the young agency, ensuring its success by devoting himself to business development, a role he held for 28 years.

At the time, before we could leverage Cossette’s reputation when promoting our services to potential clients, Bernard opened many doors for us and helped to attract major clients, such as Dominion Corset and Jato supermarkets (later bought by Provigo). 

With his help and thanks to our talented teams, we won mandates that may have seemed small—such as designing the cover of the Bell phone book or promoting the first McDonald’s restaurant in the Québec City region—but paved the way to winning major accounts. In fact, McDonald’s Canada has become a loyal Cossette client on a national level.

Beyond his professional achievements, we remember a man whose enthusiasm was contagious. Bernard had a positive outlook and saw opportunities everywhere. He knew how to build trusting relationships with his clients and colleagues, which no doubt explains why so many of them became his close friends over time. 

Bernard was an outstanding mentor and continued to guide young graduates even during his illness. He understood the importance of sharing his knowledge with today’s youth, and was the driving force behind the project to donate Cossette’s archives to the Institut des archives de la publicité. This project will now be personally led by Pierre, in memory of Bernard. 

Bernard was a model of resilience in both business and in life. He remained enthusiastic about his projects and maintained close relationships with his friends right up to the end.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have worked alongside him all these years. 

Pierre Delagrave and Claude Lessard

In the image above, from left to right: Louis Larivière,* Claude Lessard,* Bernard Paquet,* Paul Lefebvre,* François Dufort, Fernand Simard,* Jean Morin and (in front) Claude Cossette* in 1978. Cossette’s founders are marked with an asterisk.

The campaign is being supported with a short film by Cossette. In a modern twist on the Pinocchio story, the animated short portrays a young child born a girl, who wishes to be a real boy. In the end he realizes he was always a real boy, just by being himself. The hope is to introduce the transgender narrative to children in a way that’s understandable and relatable. The belief that “being yourself makes wishes come true” applies to all children, of all backgrounds, identities and orientations.

"Glad Day believes that story, representation and freedom of speech are critical elements of LGBTQ culture and identity and that our space is an important place that supports, nurtures and inspires creativity and community." says co-owner Michael Erickson. “This film celebrates the process of understanding the truth of our stories and putting ourselves out in the world.”

“There is nothing more powerful than stories,” says Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette. “This film was a labor of love for our teams and we look forward to supporting Glad Day as it provides a safe space for people to share their stories for years to come.”

The film, which will run on Glad Day’s social channels, was a collaborative effort between a handful of partners who all donated their time to bring the concept to life. Cossette came up with the initial concept as part of an internal creative challenge and collaborated with TONIC DNA to develop the visuals and produce the animation with Emmy and Oscar-winning Director, Illustrator & Storyteller Joe Bluhm. The score was composed by Grayson Matthews Audio Design and narrated by Dana Brooks. The story will also be adapted into a children’s book later this year.

Credits

Client: Glad Day Bookshop 

COSSETTE:

Agency: Cossette
Global Chief Creative Officer: Peter Ignazi
Associate Creative Director: Jordan Hamer
Associate Creative Director: Spencer Dingle
Copywriter: Vittoria Vennare
Art Director: Jordan Smith
Designer: Yoojung Lee
Business Director: Asmait Hailu
Producer: Laura Bossy, Haley Stefan

TONIC:

Production Company: TONIC DNA
Director: Joe Bluhm
Executive Producer: Stefanie Bitton
Illustrators: Joe Bluhm, Maia Zeidan, David Remy Goldstein, Michael Renaud, Myriam Elda Arsenault, Sunmin Park, Emilie Trahan
Animation Supervisor: Alain Seguin
Animators: Emilie Trahan, Stéphane Demers, Etienne Dufresne, Luc Sperl, Mylène Sansoucy, Dominique Coté
Compositors : Marc-André Bourgoin, Myriam Elda Arsenault, Sunmin Park, Dominique Coté
Production Coordinator: Isabel Hervieux 

GRAYSON MATTHEWS:

Casting Director: Zach Anderson
Audio Engineer: Brian Bernard
Music Director: Ryan Kondrat
Music Composer: Jeff Milutinovic
Sound Designer: Michael Bisanti
Production Coordinator: Tyler Estwick
Senior Producer: Sharon Yokoyama

About Glad Day

Glad Day Bookshop is the first Canadian and the longest surviving queer bookstore worldwide. Serving the LGBTQ community since 1970, we specialize in offering the widest possible selection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, and queer literature, both in and out of print. Glad Day is also a cafe, bar and event space, hosting over 75 events every month. The non-profit arm of Glad Day, called Glad Day Lit, runs a variety of programs, including Naked Heart - the largest LGBTQ literary festival in the world.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

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For more information:
Kali Pearson
kali.pearson@cossette.com
416-669-9164

The 360° campaign by Cossette includes a TV spot, social, digital video, and the innovative out-of-home Augmented Reality experience through Snapchat. Consumers in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Toronto and Halifax can simply scan the Snap market on out-of-home ads featuring the golden door to view a 3D version of the door on their phone. This will unlock the AR experience where they will hear the McDelivery knock and unlock a $5 off coupon.

“McDonald’s Canada is a trailblazer when it comes to leveraging digital technology and this is just the latest example of their willingness to take creative risks,”  says Jordan Cohen, Creative Director at Cossette.

The campaign marks the first time Snapchat’s marker tech lens has been used for couponing by a Canadian brand through an out of home ad.

Credits

Client:  McDonald’s Canada
Agency: Cossette, OMD (Media)
Name: McDonald's McDelivery National Launch
Creative: Kevin Filliter (Creative Director), Jordan Cohen (Creative Director), Jon Frier (Group Creative Director), Eric Wood (Senior Designer), Youri Hollier (Director of Content)
Accounts: Shawna Haymen (VP Business Lead), Kylie Pinder (Business Director), Erika Streisfield (Account Supervisor), Samuel Potvin (Quebec Account Lead)
Digital Project Manager: Jeff Maynard
Strategist: Lindsay Waugh
Producer: Lindsay Hann
Print Producer: Dawn-Marie Mills, Raquel Mullen
Media: Logan Lindsay (Associate Director of Strategy), Zeena Al’Naib (Digital Supervisor)

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's® restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 percent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada.

En:

Fr:

For more information:
Kali Pearson
kali.pearson@cossette.com
416-669-9164

The Indiegogo fundraiser launched May 29 and will be live for 40 days with a fundraising goal of $100,000. All funds raised will be used to buy genuine Klondike gold, which will be placed in Bonanza Creek near Dawson City for the Gold Rush 2 event on August 20. The date follows “Discovery Day”, which commemorates the anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Yukon.

The project was developed with consultation with the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation. which helped to guide and shape the promotion to ensure that the First Nation story was represented. Dawsoncity.ca also consulted with a number of regulatory and government agencies including the Yukon Government’s Department of Energy Mines and Resources, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Tourism & Culture. A voluntary environmental impact assessment was also completed with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

“With Gold Rush 2, we wanted to celebrate the rich history of the Klondike Gold Rush and create a fun and modern way for people to experience what it was like back then,” says Paul Robitaille, Marketing and Events Manager at DawsonCity.ca. “We're looking to excite a new generation of gold-seekers to adventure to Dawson City, where they can experience the rich living-history of our beautiful Territory and, hopefully, find some gold while taking it all in.” 

For those unable to attend the Gold Rush 2 event in August, Dawsoncity.ca has leveraged partner agency The Colony Project to run an influencer campaign raising awareness of the event and the Yukon as a year-round travel destination.

“The audacity of the idea and complexity of execution make this initiative noteworthy,” says Katie Ainsworth, Executive Creative Director at Cossette. “Leveraging modern technology to help recreate a historic event is a memorable way to introduce Dawson City to a whole new group of visitors.” 

Credits

Client:  DawsonCity.ca

Agency: Cossette

Name: Gold Rush 2

Creative: Katie Ainsworth, Pierre Chan, Grace Cho, Jake Hope, Michael Milardo, Jono Saye, Scott Schneider, Cameron Spires

Design: Grace Cho, Aimee Grimes, Shanene Lau, Lisa Nakamura

Accounts: Marjo Durand, Lindsey Maloney, Manuela Stoyanov, Lindy Scott, Robyn Smith

Production: Emily Clark, Sarah Davidson, Claire Khan

Technology: Charles Almoite

PR: The Colony Project - Kristi Iannuzzi, Nisha Nair, Lianne Pitts

Media Agency: Jungle Media - Georgia Pearson, Janet Xi

About DawsonCity.ca

DawsonCity.ca is operated by the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), a not-for-profit tourism sector organization, based in Dawson City, Yukon, representing local and regional members and industry stakeholders. KVA’s mandate includes destination marketing, operation of attractions and presentation of special events that increase visitation and add to the quality of life in our community. KVA’s owned and operated attractions include:  Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, Jack London Museum and the Free Claim # 6 on Bonanza Creek. A few examples of our many annual events are: Yukon Gold Panning Championships, Thaw Di Gras Spring Carnival and the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race.

About The Colony Project

The Colony Project is a full-service communications agency specializing in public relations, experiential activations, social media and digital and influencer engagement.

The Colony Project took home gold at the 2018 Strategy Awards Agency of the Year, following its Silver win in 2017. Founded by former sister-agency Citizen Relations Vice President Amanda Shuchat in Toronto in January 2016. Today, Colony has two offices - one in Toronto and another in Montreal - with affiliates in Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax to ensure coverage from coast-to-coast.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com. 

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For more information:
Kali Pearson
kali.pearson@cossette.com
416-669-9164

“Our social listening team discovered that over 10% of all conversations about McNuggets on McDonald’s social channels relate to nuggetiquette –  how to dip, when to dip and what to dip them in,” says Youri Hollier, Content Director at Cossette. “People are really passionate about their nuggetiquette and this campaign celebrates the fact that there is no right way to enjoy McNuggets, just your way.”

McDonald’s Canada launched Nuggetiquette, defined as one’s own personal set of “rules” for eating McNuggets, in Ontario in 2018. The original campaign crowdsourced real fan rituals which were incorporated into scenarios where traditional rules were important. Nuggetiquette Weekly is a way to engage McNugget fans across the country.

“The digital magazine is a fun way to deepen the conversation about Canadian’s McNugget rituals on social media,” says Solange Bernard, Senior Manager Media, CRM & Partnerships, at McDonald’s Canada. “We’re always looking to innovate our social strategy by introducing new and engaging tactics that drive meaningful conversations and brand love around our most iconic menu items.”

Each issue of the digital publication features a colour palette and content tied to a theme and a dipping sauce. Lifestyle influencer Victoria Hui fronts the first issue, featuring spicy buffalo sauce; musician Ray Ligaya covers the travel issue, featuring sweet and sour sauce and the Art and Design issue features dancer Donté Colley and hot mustard. Quebec influencer Olivier Couture covers the lifestyle issue in that market.

“We wanted to work with influencers who not only had a strong presence and resonance with Canadians, but who also had their own rituals when it came to enjoying McNuggets,” says Logan Kazman, Social Media Consultant, McDonald’s Canada. “And, in keeping with the influencer focus, we leveraged Vancouver-based photographer Mike Seehagel to do the shoot, who has his own community of 184,000 followers on Instagram.”

The campaign will drive to a special offer on the My McDs app to treat themselves to 10 McNuggets for the price of six until May 12.

Credits

Clients: 

Senior Manager Media, CRM & Partnerships:  Solange Bernard

Marketing Officer: Hope Bagozzi

Social Media Consultant:  Logan Kazman

CMO:  Antoinette Benoit 

Agency: Cossette

SVP, Managing Director: Kathy McGuire

VP, Business Lead: Geoff Wilton

Group Business Director: Tina Haessler

Social Strategist: Michael Burke 
 

Global Chief Creative Officer(s): Carlos Moreno, Peter Ignazi

Group Creative Director: Jon Freir

Director of Content:  Youri Hollier

Content Supervisor:  Jess Mackenzie

Content Creator:  Mike Kolberg

Motion Graphics Designer:  Gwen Ng

Copywriter: Jaclyn Lacroix

Designer: David Tang

Agency PM:  Krista Brown

Cossette Montréal:

Product Advisor: Samuel Potvin

Creative Director: Patrick Michaud

Copywriter: Marc-André Lafrance

Editor: Sébastien Beauregard

Social media strategist: Sarah Morisette

Community manager: Andréane Voyer

Photographer:  Mike Seehagel

Media Agency: OMD

Digital Supervisor:  Zeena Al-Naib

Digital Specialist:  Hannah Kuryllowicz

Search and Social Lead:  Qayam Sayani

Social Specialist:  Deven Creagh

Jr. Social Specialist:  Aaron Kelly
 

PR Agency: Weber Shandwick

Manager, Integrated Media: Fatma Othman

Associate, Integrated Media: Daphne Arias-Guillemette

Senior Vice President, Melissa Graham 

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's® restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 percent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spent on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald’s Canada, visit McDonalds.ca

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com. 

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For more information:
Kali Pearson
416-669-9164
kali.pearson@cossette.com

The film takes inspiration from the bold lines, cheerful colours and cartoon-like forms found in Joe Average paintings to tell a story of the ongoing battle for equality faced by Canada’s LGBTQ2 communities.

“The Mint is proud to share the message of equality through this new commemorative circulation coin,” says Pierre Justino, VP Marketing at the Royal Canadian Mint.  “The design of this coin is a stylized celebration of equality viewed through an LGBTQ2 perspective. The words "EQUALITY" and "ÉGALITÉ" are shown on two curved bands, as well as the double dates "1969" and "2019" to mark 50 years of progress for LGBTQ2 Canadians.” 

The series of amendments passed by Parliament in 1969 was an early but significant legal step in Canada’s ongoing journey to become a more diverse, inclusive, and free place to live.

“There is still so much we need to do to achieve true equality,” says Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette. “This film celebrates the victories over the last half century and our collective commitment to celebrating love in all of its forms no matter the cost.”

Here is the video

Credits

Client:  The Royal Canadian Mint

Agency: Cossette

Name: The Cost

VP, Business Lead: Anabella Mandel

Business Direction: Tyler Harris

Account Executive: Jillian Sypkes

Strategy Director: Fernando Aloise

Art Director: Anton Mwewa

Associate Creative Director: Rachel Abrams

Creative Directors: Jinnean Barnard, Mario Cesareo

Global Chief Creative Officers: Peter Ignazi, Carlos Moreno

Agency Producer: Haley Stefan

Production House: Linetest

Music Agency: Grayson Matthews

Media Agency: Media Experts

About The Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001 certified corporation, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

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For more information:
Kali Pearson
kali.pearson@cossette.com
416-669-9164

“One of the key benefits of working at a McDonald’s restaurant is the camaraderie among crew members,” says Antoinette Benoit, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s Canada. “With this campaign, we are celebrating the spirit of friendship while continuing to build on and express our ongoing belief in Canadian youth.”

The campaign aims to differentiate McDonald’s in a crowded youth employment market, drive applications and boost McDonald’s reputation for being a fun, accessible place to work.

Following the March 27th Snapplications one-day virtual hiring activation, “Friends Wanted” is a continuing strategy for McDonald's to engage with young workers as a modern and progressive employer. The ‘Friends Wanted’ campaign is a recruitment first in that it includes an online application form that allows potential staff to apply with a friend. Additional assets that will be piloted as part of the program are an updated Owner-Operator hiring toolkit including digital and print ads, tray liners and crew stickers. 

“It's a simple, but powerful shift that has the potential to not just double the number of potential applications, but makes the idea of working with friends real,” says Jordan Hamer, Associate Creative Director at Cossette. “McDonald’s has always been a big employer of youth and this strategy is a direct response to how today’s young workers want to engage with employers.”

Credits

Name, Title: Friends Wanted

Client: McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited:

Marketing: Antoinette Benoit - Chief Marketing Officer; Hope Bagozzi - Marketing Officer; Melanie Courtois - Senior Marketing Manager

HR: Stephanie Hardman - Chief People Officer

Agency: Cossette

Global Chief Creative Officers: Peter Ignazi, Carlos Moreno

Group Creative Director: Jon Frier

Associate Creative Directors: Spencer Dingle, Jordan Hamer

Art Director: Tyler Robitaille

Copywriter: Ellen Porteous

Senior Designer: Eric Wood

SVP, Managing Director: Kathy McGuire

VP, Client Lead: Sarah Jue

Account Executive: Valerie Traitses

Strategist: Jeff McCrory

Sr. Digital Project Manager: Jeff Maynard

Senior Director, Communications: Stacey Masson

External Communications Manager: Kali Pearson

Media Agency: OMD

Director: James Haworth

DOP: Stuart Campbell

Production House: Circle Films

Sound: Berkeley Inc.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated brand experience agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

About McDonald’s Canada

In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's® restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 90 percent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, beverages and packaging, more than 85 per cent is purchased from over 100 suppliers in Canada.

The Alliance created this web series with Cossette, Hearts & Science, Cult Nation and Post-Moderne. It was developed in collaboration with the tourism industry and Québec’s regions.

The premise: Letting go is innate

“Québec isn’t simply a destination. It’s an invitation to let go and get in touch with what really matters,” explained Martin Soucy, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec. “We all feel the need to let go, but too often, we ignore it. When you visit Québec, it becomes instinctive, as this place has everything it takes to make it happen. In Québec, you can go off the beaten path and feel free to try new things.”

The concept: An immersive content series

We no longer travel just to check destinations off a list. We travel to have powerful, transformative experiences that create lasting memories and leave an indelible impression. And creating a strong emotional connection with potential travellers takes time.

“During last year’s campaign, we saw an increased appetite for longer content formats,” said Sébastien Viau, the Alliance’s VP, Sales and Marketing . “This year is a departure from classic formats with a series of eight episodes of three to five minutes in length. They follow two pairs of travellers as they explore Québec.”

The series can be viewed on the province’s YouTube channel (Tourisme Québec) and was designed to be watched more than once. The episodes are extremely detailed, providing information on places and experiences that are fun to discover in depth.

The campaign’s media placements are targeted to each market and present tailored content in the audience’s language to attract them to the Alliance’s ecosystem. Users are redirected to YouTube or to the destination’s website where they are encouraged to watch the entire web series. Contents are available with subtitles to allow users from many different countries to watch them.

Once they are in the Alliance’s ecosystem, users can access all complementary content to get inspired and learn more. For example, they can discover more about the experiences highlighted in the videos and find out how to add them to their itineraries.

“Showcasing Québec from an original angle, conveying its true flavour, sharing its culture in a way that goes beyond clichés, that all takes time. With longer content pieces, we can go into the experience in greater detail, explore emotions, and be less generic,” said Florence Girod, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Integrated Products at Cossette. “Our experience last year confirmed that when content is relevant and attractive, the audience takes the time to view it. And Québec is sufficiently inspiring to make an impression and sustain attention.”

The episodes on Montréal, Québec City and the Outaouais were developed in partnership with each region’s tourism office. The content and tone were adapted to reflect the positioning of each region while simultaneously conveying QuébecOriginal’s brand image and communications platform.

The travellers: Two influencer duos

Our tourism industry is filled with passionate people who work hard to make Québec shine. Spending time with them allows viewers to gain a new perspective, to learn more about a place and to immerse themselves. It also helps them let go and become open to something new.

To introduce them to the world, the Alliance teamed up with travellers from our priority target markets: Ontario, the U.S. and France. The travellers’ itineraries and experiences were chosen according to the target markets. The first four episodes share the experiences of Alex Vizéo and Steven Herteleer, friends and globetrotters from France who travel for fun and for work. The objective was to allow them to let go and take a break from their hectic lives.

The next four episodes follow the escapades of Paola Franqui and Sandra Rodriguez, a close mother-daughter duo who represent multigenerational travel. Paola quit her day job to follow her passion: photography. Her mother came along on her Québec adventure, which allowed the pair to connect deeply by leaving their daily routines behind.

Music: A song by a Québec artist and songwriter

Québec singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin and music producer CRi are behind the official song for the series, a cover of Fous n’importe où by Daniel Bélanger. It’s an ode to escape and a classic vacation soundtrack  for thousands of Quebecers.

Next steps: The Mexican market

Four additional episodes aimed at the Mexican market are planned for fall 2019. Mexican actor and blogger Alan Estrada, who was part of the Alliance’s previous Québec promotional campaign, visited the province again, this time to discover its winter tourism offerings.

Credits

Advertiser: Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec
Agency: Cossette
Strategy: Florence Girod, Chris Bergeron, Judikaela Auffrédou, Julie Trudeau
Creative: Gilles Legault, Antoine C. Buteau, Carmen Joy King, Hélène Savage, Alex Lachapelle, Romain Payan, Alexandra Oliverio
Product: Nadja Décarie, Jean-Hugo Filion, Fanny Laferrière, Valérie Lapointe, Olivier Thibault, Catherine Deslongchamps, Alexis Gendreau, Stéphanie Labelle
Media agency: Heart & Sciences
Production house: Cult Nation
Director: Eva Van den Bulcke
Post-production: Post-Moderne
Music: Cult Nation

About the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec

The Alliance is dedicated to making Québec a world-class tourism destination. It is an agent of Tourisme Québec in the marketing of the destination outside Québec. It speaks on behalf of 10,000 tourism businesses, which are represented by 40 regional and sectoral partner associations. A partner in the success of the industry it unites, coordinates and represents, the Alliance supports and participates in the development of Québec’s tourism offering and its marketing. The Alliance helps raise the destination’s profile in Canada and around the world and increase the economic benefits for Québec.

About Cossette 

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

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For more information:

Roxanne Chaudier
514 827-8315
roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com

Building on its enviable position in the digital sector, Cossette is leveraging these appointments to deepen its expertise and its ability to develop innovative business intelligence and cutting‑edge technology solutions.

“Today’s brands operate in a complex digital universe, where data is used to transform their business models. Now more than ever, they must be sure their chosen strategy and technology will allow them to achieve their transformation goals. Stéphane, Martin and Marian will be important allies for our clients with respect to designing and deploying solutions that will allow them to take full advantage of the data intelligence,” noted Louis Duchesne, Executive Vice‑President and General Manager of Cossette.

For many years, Stéphane Alozy hasdistinguished himself through his vision and his ability to create new marketing products and services. As V.P. and Digital Business Lead, he’ll be tasked with driving Cossette’s growth through integrated clients for whom digital is central to their business model and who want to accelerate their transformation with the help of content ecosystems based on data, as well as artificial intelligence and data analysis products.

In addition to a Ph.D. in computer science, Martin Talbot has a wealth of experience in business intelligence, artificial intelligence and user research. Stints at well-known video game studios Square Enix, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group and Electronic Arts allowed him to hone his skills in research, statistical analysis and automated learning. Over the course of his career, Martin promoted the data culture, established reliable and intuitive performance indicators, and deployed advanced digital marketing technologies with real-time personalization. This expertise will allow him to support the agency’s clients in their transformation and identify actionable insights that will help guide them towards the best business decisions.

Having worked in the technology field for 20 years now, Marian Borca is an accomplished software architect and developer. A member of the Cossette team since 2007, his role is to create tailored solutions for the agency’s clients, particularly content management and e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs, mobile applications and state-of-the-art digital ecosystems. His new role will see him exercise even greater leadership over the Technology team with the aim of deploying technology development strategies that will allow Cossette’s clients to harness the full potential of data.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com. 

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For more information:

Roxanne Chaudier
514 827-8315
roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com

Cossette’s strategy was informed by research looking into the gaming community. They learned that excitement is the lifeblood of games — it fires up gamers and makes powerful memories. These endorphin pumping moments in gaming are at the heart of the connected experience gamers seek.

‘Experience Kabam’ became the revised strategy and the new branding taps into the wide spectrum of feelings gamers experience during play — from frustration and rage, to joy and triumph. It also features a heat map-influenced colour spectrum to acknowledge both this emotional range, as well the touch aspect of mobile gaming.

Kabam’s reinvented brand includes a new logo, and full identity system (business cards, letterhead, social assets, etc), a brand video and a new website coming later this year. Cossette also worked with Kabam on their internal launch to orchestrate a cross-office reveal that included a presentation, branded swag and even custom 6-packs of emotion-based beers.

“Kabam has partnered with Cossette to redefine the way we present our brand to the world,” said Tim Fields, CEO of Kabam. The gaming company, which was recently acquired by Korean publishing giant Netmarble, has developed immersive mobile games with leading entertainment companies such as Disney, Hasbro and Universal based on some of the world’s most iconic franchises, including Marvel, Transformers and Fast & Furious and is one of Vancouver’s fastest growing tech players.

“We chose Cossette as they have the creative talent and strategic expertise to take our rebrand to market internationally, and develop launch campaigns that match Kabam’s innovation,” Fields continued. “Every touchpoint of Kabam's brand will have a complete overhaul. We have aggressive goals and our brand overhaul will be a key component in supporting our growth as a company.”

“We’re excited to help Kabam take their brand to market and spread the word about the immersive, socially connected games they build, such as Marvel Contest of Champions and Transformers: Forged to Fight. Our team is passionate about the gaming industry and we can’t wait to connect users to their games in a deeper way,” said Cossette’s Nadine Cole, SVP General Manager.

For Cossette, the selection by Kabam adds to the list of several additional wins in Vancouver over the past year, including Jetlines, Curling Canada, and Parq Casino.

About Kabam

Kabam is a world leader of developing entertaining, immersive, and highly social multiplayer games for mobile devices. They merge consumer behavior with the art of game design to create experiences that are enjoyed by millions of players across the globe. Each game has raised the benchmark in mobile gaming, bringing high-quality graphics, next-generation technology and revolutionary gameplay to the console in every player’s pocket.

Kabam has partnered with leading entertainment brands like Disney, Hasbro and Universal to create mobile games based on some of the world’s most iconic franchises.

Kabam’s games have generated hundreds of millions of downloads including Fast & Furious 6: The Game, Fast & Furious: Legacy, Marvel Contest of Champions and Transformers: Forged to Fight. These games have also received multiple awards such as Apple’s Editor’s Choice and Google Play’s Best Game of the Year.

Founded in 2006, Kabam has studios and offices in Vancouver, San Francisco and Austin, Texas. The company has doubled in size year over year since opening and currently has more than 350 employees. Kabam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netmarble Games.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

Brand Video Credits

Client: Kabam Inc.

Agency: Cossette

Production House: The Sequence Group Music & Sound: Cypher Audio & The Sequence Group

Download visuals here.

View video here.

For more information:

Kali Pearson
416-669-9164
kali.pearson@cossette.com

“We are utterly thrilled to welcome Axel to the Cossette Media family,” says Joseph Leon, President of Vision7 Media. “He is a highly respected and modern agency leader, who brings a unique blend of global and regional experience, and acclaimed client leadership with leading, international brands.”

Dumont moves to Cossette Media from GroupM, where as President, Québec, he led the group’s regional operations across their agency portfolio. He was previously at GroupM in Paris, where his global client portfolio included Chanel, Michelin and Danone. 

“Cossette Media is unique in combining strategy, data and creativity within an integrated model. Our recent track record demonstrates that it is also a relevant and winning combination,” says Dumont. “I am delighted to add my experience to a great team and to help build, both regionally and nationally, the media partner of the future.”

“Following a year of historic growth, aggressive innovation and rising industry recognition, this significant appointment is an exciting reflection of Cossette Media’s vision, momentum and ambition,” adds Leon.

Dumont will join the Cossette Media executive team, alongside Brooke Leland, SVP and General Manager, Ontario and West, and Wes Wolch, SVP and Chief Strategy Officer. 

Dumont earned a degree in Marketing and Communication from the European Business School.

About Cossette Media
Cossette Media is a Canadian media agency renowned for its transparent, integrated approach. With a solid team of media specialists in Québec City, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax, it offers a complete range of communications services including media planning and buys, analytics, IT architecture, direct response advertising, branded content, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and mobile and social media.

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For more information:
Kali Pearson, 416 669-9164, kali.pearson@cossette.com

These messages help convince government officials to release people imprisoned for expressing their opinion (called “prisoners of conscience” by Amnesty), stop the use of torture, commute death sentences and end other human rights abuses.

The 2018 writeathon focused on 10 women who are imprisoned or persecuted because they defend human rights in their communities.

Writing for rights works. For more than 13 years, writeathons have changed lives and helped to free hundreds of prisoners of conscience. In 2017, more than 5.5 million cards were sent from over 208 countries and territories.

Credits

Client: Amnistie internationale - Anne-Sainte Marie, Évelyne Bougues

Agency : Cossette

Strategy : Hugo Fournier

Creative : Barbara Jacques, Anne-Claude Chénier, Geneviève Duquette, Alex Jutras, Simon-Charles Couture, Philippe Brassard

Product : Olivier Charbonneau, Florence Girard-Leblanc

Studio : Mario Lévesque, Maxime Bluteau, René Lachapelle

Media Agency : Cossette Média

Media : Hélène Gingras, Laura Boily-Auclair

Production house : SOMA - Geneviève Cabana-Proulx

Photographer : Christian Tremblay

Photography assistant : Don Loga
Art Director : Emmanuelle Néron
Retoucher : Jonathan Kemp

For more information :

Roxanne Chaudier

514 827-8315

roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com

The list of Top 100 Winners, who span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, was released today, paying tribute to the outstanding women across Canada who have advocated for diversity in the workforce, and who serve as an inspiration for the next generation of leaders.

“We are celebrating 100 of Canada’s highest achieving women in diverse fields,” said Sherri Stevens, CEO of WXN. “All 100 are role models for the generations who will follow – which is why it’s very important to recognize and celebrate their great achievements,” Stevens concluded.

“WXN’s mantra is to ‘celebrate differences’ and ‘lead inclusively’ – two ideals that have always guided me personally and professionally. As a WXN winner, I strongly believe that it is on our shoulders to create a world that truly values the idea that there are as many ways to be successful in business as there are leaders in business,” said Mélanie Dunn, Cossette Global President & CEO.

Past Award Winners includes Canada’s most iconic women trailblazers: Margaret Atwood, best-selling author, Dr. Roberta Bondar, astronaut, Arlene Dickinson, CEO, Venture Communications, Christine Magee, President, Sleep Country Canada, Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada, Heather Reisman, Founder and CEO, Indigo Books & Music, and Kathleen Taylor, Chair of the Board, Royal Bank of Canada.

To mark this year’s awards, WXN is hosting an Awards Gala on November 22nd at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  More than 1400 senior professionals will attend.

For a full list of winners, please visit https://wxnetwork.com/wxn/top100winners/.

About the Women's Executive Network (WXN)
Women’s Executive Network (WXN), a member-based organization, exists for the advancement, development and recognition of professional women in Canada. WXN delivers this advancement through training, events, mentoring, networking, and award and recognition programs for members and partners. At WXN, equity, inclusion and the advancement of professional women make industry stronger and society better. Their passion is 100% centered on empowering women and creating positive social change. WXN currently operates in Canada and Ireland.

About Cossette
Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

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For more information:
Kali Pearson
416 669 9164
kali.pearson@cossette.com

This 360° campaign includes 15 and 30-seconds TV spots, 15-seconds preroll and web videos, a 60-seconds film and behind the scenes video, social media ads, print and OOH executions, as well as a partnership with Bell Media.

“The funny thing with hockey players is that even though they are famous, without their gear and jersey, most people would never recognize them, says Patrick Michaud, Associate Creative Director at Cossette. All in all, people proved to be very generous. Some did not recognize Jonathan Drouin at all and still agreed to share their McNuggets with him.” 

Credits

Client: McDonald’s Canada

Agency : Cossette

Strategy : Michel-Alex Lessard

Creative : Patrick Michaud, Ben Duquette, Alex Jutras

Product : Chloé Drolet, Valérie Lapointe, Samuel Potvin

Media Agency : OMD Canada

Production house : Morrison

Director : Jimmi Francoeur

Post-production : Morrison Film

Sound : Studios Apollo

Public Relations : Weber Shandwick

About Cossette
Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

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For more information:

Roxanne Chaudier

514 827-8315

roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com

Representing the figure of a child, the logo consists of a single band-aid to symbolize the Hospital’s core mission to heal children and ease their suffering, and a band-aid heart to represent the love that flows between our patients and our medical staff. Joined together, they form an icon that stands for the unbreakable bond between donors, patients and their families, and the Hospital.

Trick and treat 

The Children’s was the first hospital in the province of Québec dedicated entirely to pediatric care. Beyond its medical mission, the Hospital understands the importance of letting kids be kids, despite the challenges of their illness. Inspired by this particular purpose, the Foundation called on some heavy hitters to bring Halloween to children who weren’t able to take part this year. 

And so, on October 31, students from Montréal primary school École Saint-Barthélemy collected donations to organize a blowout Halloween party for kids at the Hospital. “When you see five to eight-year-olds willing to trade their princess or Harry Potter costume for a hospital gown to help other children, it makes us adults want to chip in too,” said Vicky Morin, creative director at Cossette.

Thanks to the generosity of the students and the people who donated to the cause, the children at the Hospital enjoyed a magical event that included shadow puppets, an oversized piñata and giant interactive costume, a message from Foundation spokesperson and hockey player PK Subban, and a wheelchair race.

For the Foundation, this brand refresh helps set the stage for a major fundraising campaign coming in the near future. 

Credits

Advertiser: Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation – Renée Vézina, Kim Fraser, Séverine Defouni, Sylvie Desjardins

New brand identity

Agency: Cossette

Creative: Richard Bélanger, Simon Langlois

Product: Andrée Losier, Noémie Ferland

Strategy: Hugo Fournier

Studio: Colette Dumay, Isabelle Bourgeault, Nathalie Boucher, Mélissa Choquette

 Trick and treat

Agency: Cossette

Creative: Vicky Morin, Steve Pépin

Product: Andrée Losier, Noémie Ferland

Strategy: Hugo Fournier

Media agency: Cossette Média – Guillaume Girard

Public relations: Citoyen Optimum

Production house: Gorditos

Produced by: Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais

DOP: Steve Asselin

Production: Véronique Poulin, Marie-Christine Blouin, Bruno Beauchemin

On-set art director: Hugues Letellier

Editing house: CAG, Simon Sauvé

Music: Paul Maco, Karl

Sound: La Majeure, P.O. Rioux

Special thanks to the students at École Saint-Barthélemy and the École De Montarville student choir.

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016, 2017 and 2018. It currently has offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

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For more information:

Roxanne Chaudier

514 827-8315

roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com

As part of this year’s advertising campaign, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is launching today Beyond Business, a new Web series that showcases inspiring, relentless entrepreneurs and the challenges they overcome to successfully grow their companies. 

The first three episodes of the Web series feature entrepreneurs across Canada as they wonder how they can take their business to the next level and face growth challenges while staying true to their values. The three-minute videos will be broadcast on social media and focus intimately on the people behind the business, making them highly relatable to entrepreneurs. The series aims to touch entrepreneurs by portraying unique, authentic experiences and demonstrating that successful business growth is inspiring. 

“At BDC, we understand where entrepreneurs are coming from, whether they are starting or growing a business,” says Michel Bergeron, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs at BDC. “This year’s focus is on inspiring entrepreneurs to partner with us in becoming more competitive. We want them to see how BDC can meaningfully contribute to their journey and accompany them in developing their business.”

“Understanding entrepreneurs goes beyond understanding their business. To really connect with them, the series portrays unique and authentic experiences from their peers, demonstrating that successful growth is inspiring, but it’s also hard work”, says Chris Bergeron, Vice-President, Content and Experience at Cossette, BDC’s agency of record which led the creation of the series.

Fair Trade Jewellery Co.

Kin’s Farm Market

Green Beaver

The Web series builds on the achievements of BDC’s annual advertising campaigns, which demonstrate the close connection between the Bank and entrepreneurs by showcasing its deep understanding of their reality. Entrepreneurs take centre stage in this year’s national multichannel advertising campaign, led by Cossette. The campaign launched earlier in September also includes TV spots, radio messages, out-of-home and airport ads, and digital media.

CREDITS

Advertiser – Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Michel Bergeron

Annie Marsolais

Andres Suarez

Roxanne Romani

Agency – Cossette

Strategy and Creative: Mikael Cossette-Lebleu, Chris Bergeron

Product: Benoit Chapellier, Nicolas Girault, Mathilde Givern-Héroux

Media Agency: Cossette média

Media: Pascal Desrosiers, Olivier Gilbert

Production house: Cossette Studio

Director: Bruno Florin

DOP: Alex Carignan

Producer: Alexander Bain

Walmart Canada today announced that it has hired Cossette as its integrated agency of record. The announcement follows a recently concluded account review and extensive competitive process.

Cossette will deliver world-class creative and impactful communications strategies and assume full-range marketing responsibilities to promote Walmart’s omni-channel retail leadership and corporate responsibility as the company prepares to celebrate 25 years in Canada.

"With award-winning creativity, rich retail experience, and a deep understanding of our customers, Cossette will be a valuable partner in helping to modernize the Walmart brand while keeping true to our mission of saving Canadians money so they can live better," said Tammy Sadinsky, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Walmart Canada. "From being Canadians’ #1 choice for low prices to building strong communities, we are excited to work with the ‘best in class’ team at Cossette to build the next chapter of our Walmart story."

“Walmart is such an influential brand and we are excited to be partnering with the team to unlock its true potential in this market,” said Daniel Shearer, Executive Vice-President and General Manager at Cossette. “Our seamless integration will bring together the best talent to deliver the right balance between emotional brand-building and tactical communications that are so essential for retail success today.”

Holiday magic starts with believing.

Cossette’s first project for Walmart is its holiday campaign, which launches this month. The program taps into customers’ desire to create holiday magic for their families – and the knowledge that it can require a lot of work. Thanks to Walmart’s offerings, parents and family members can bring their hope for holiday magic to life without having to compromise to stay on a budget.

With Teddy, the program’s 60-second hero video, Walmart sets the tone for a truly magical holiday season as we follow the adventures of a lone teddy bear in a Walmart store, as it waits for its new forever home. The video is now available online and will be broadcasted on TV in the coming weeks.

Walmart’s holiday program also includes the return of its Toy Academy and beloved toy expert Olivia. For parents and family members, using this online content hub takes the guesswork and stress out of finding the “it” toys of the season. Because Walmart knows there is nothing quite like the magic of seeing a child open a gift they really like, toy experts track trends and reviews to help consumers find the perfect gift based on age, budget and interests.

Cossette led the creative development with an integrated agency team, including Mindshare (media buying), Church + State (social media), Reprise (social media buying),  Medianet (digital), St. Joseph Communications (in-store signage, flyer, digest), and APEX (public relations and influencer content).

Credits

Advertiser: Walmart Canada

Agency: Cossette

Production house: Scouts Honour

Directed by: Mark Ziebert

Post-production: Saints Editorial, The Vanity, A52

Sound: Pirate

Media agency: Mindshare

Public Relations: Apex

Digital: Medianet

Social media agencies: Church + State, Reprise

In-store collaterals: St. Joseph Communications

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways. Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada for the past three years in a row. It has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, visit cossette.com.

About Walmart

Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of 411 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 750,000 customers daily. With more than 85,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $300 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

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Stacey Masson

514 242-8984

stacey.masson@cossette.com

Although SickKids has seen some major successes over the past few years, the fight is far from over. Last October, it kicked off the largest fundraising campaign in Canadian healthcare history - an ambitious effort to raise $1.3 billion in order to build a new SickKids - because twenty-first century medicine shouldn't be held back by a 1949 building.

“Our goal is to rally the GTA by creating crews, empowering people and bringing them together based on characteristics and passions that they share with others”, says Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette. “Whether you strut the catwalk or the sidewalk, whether you cycle on two wheels or even in training wheels, or whether you’re a first-miler or a marathoner, we are all a critical part of a SickKids Crew. It’s time to join in the mission to build a new hospital that will lift paediatric healthcare to new heights for future generations.”

Building on the intensity the VS platform has become known for, SickKids VS: Join Your Crew is a call-to-arms for the Cyclists, the Dog People, the Lefties, the Road Runners, the Cosplayers, the Boxers, the Fashionistas and all other crews to come together in support of the kids.

To further inspire Torontonians, a unique influencer strategy was developed working with Citizen Relations. High profile Toronto personalities and social media influencers, such as Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre DeGrasse, Toronto Raptor Fred VanVleet, Canadian actress Torri Webster and lifestyle influencer Allegra Shaw, were integrated into the creative, making them “Crew leaders” and allowing the compelling call-to-action to resonate on a deeper level with their follower base. Influencer relations will help sustain the conversation through to the holiday season.

The 2-minute spot, featuring actor Colm Feore and ET Canada host Cheryl Hickey, will air in cinema and online, in addition to 90 and 60-sec TV spot. The campaign also includes OOH in the Toronto area, digital and social media ads.

Credits

Client: SickKids Foundation  

Agency: Cossette

Carlos Moreno, Global Chief Creative Officer

Peter Ignazi, Global Chief Creative Officer

Craig McIntosh, Creative Director

Jaimes Zentil, Creative Director

Spencer Dingle, Art Director

Jordan Hamer, Writer

Rosie Gentile, Senior Vice-President, Strategy

Denika Angelone, Strategy Director

Rami Dudin, Senior Strategist

Janis Lindenbergs, Senior Vice-President, Client Service Director

Tishan Canagasaby, Vice President, Client Leader

Melissa Levenberg, Group Account Director

Andrea O’Donnell, Group Account Director

Daniel Dolan, Account Director

Hillary Gonzalez, Account Executive

Rina McNicol, Account Executive

Dayna Blustein, Account Coordinator

Erica Metcalfe, Producer

Production: Scouts Honour

Media Agency: OMD

PR Agency (Influencer Relations): Citizen Relations

Erin Banting, Senior Account Manager

About Cossette

Cossette is a fully integrated marketing communications agency. It’s a community of 700 creative humans who help people and brands connect in meaningful ways.

Cossette was named Agency of the Year in Canada in 2016 and 2017. It currently has offices in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and has been making strides to become a major player in the global advertising community. To learn more, please visit cossette.com.

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For more information:

Roxanne Chaudier

514 827-8315

roxanne.chaudier@cossette.com