NATIONAL stands a cut above the rest in recent industry award announcements

Last night, our Firm was thrilled to learn that we won the coveted 2015 Gold SABRE award for Best Canadian Campaign of the Year for Kiss IPF Goodbye. The SABRE Awards, which are presented by the Holmes Agency and attract close to 2,000 entries each year from across North America, provide the premier showcase for the best that public relations has to offer. Winning campaigns can claim to have been measured against – and triumphed in competition with – the best public relations campaigns in the world.

On Tuesday, the Canadian Public Relations Society announced the winners of the 2015 CPRS National Awards of Excellence, which recognize outstanding achievement in a comprehensive public relations and communications project or program.

It is with great pride that we are sharing the news that of the 23 winners this year, NATIONAL is taking home an impressive round-up of four awards (two gold, one silver and one bronze) in the Community Relations, Electronic and Social Media, Issues/Crisis Management and Special Events categories. This is a remarkable feat and the most accolades we’ve received in recent memory from the CPRS nationally.

“This recognition speaks volumes to the incredible talent and creativity at NATIONAL,” said Jean-Pierre Vasseur, president and CEO of RES PUBLICA. “Perhaps even more importantly, it showcases the impressive results we are able to achieve for our clients by harnessing these amazing capabilities through collaboration: three of the four winning CPRS campaigns involved contributions from staff across our network.”

A bit more about the stellar work – and teams – that are behind these award-winning campaigns:

Kiss IPF Goodbye – Gold SABRE Award, Best Canadian Campaign of the Year

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal lung disease that affects an estimated 15,000 Canadians. There is no cure. Awareness is low, misdiagnosis is common, and unmet need continues to be a major challenge for patients and healthcare professionals.

On behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. and the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, NATIONAL developed an integrated communications campaign to reach the Canadian public, IPF patients and caregivers, healthcare professionals and the Canadian media, and engaged them to breathe life into the fight against a rare and little-known disease to help Kiss IPF Goodbye. The dynamic and robust multi-channel program incorporated digital, social, a media tour and experiential components, and was launched in September to coincide with IPF Awareness Month. All campaign targets were exceeded beyond expectation: the initial fundraising goal was met in just two days, and the media tour helped secure major national and local coverage, with over 8.8 million media impressions and 31 stories.

The campaign team includes Joanna Wilson, Carolyn Santillan, Claire Cockburn, Natalie Dyck and Natasha Bailey.

Ford Driving Skills for Life – Gold Award, Canadian Community Relations Campaign of the Year

Ford Driving Skills for Life is an award-winning, global training program established in 2003 that teaches newly-licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving and the dangers of distracted driving, beyond what they learn in traditional driver training programs. NATIONAL supported the program’s Canadian launch by engaging local young drivers through hands-on, driver experiences and by educating parents through targeted media relations efforts.

The Firm secured national coverage in The Globe and Mail and National Post, and on Canada AM. The teams in the two host cities, Toronto and Calgary, also secured significant local broadcast and print coverage in their respective markets. The program was delivered in Toronto by Mark Sears Gamache and Mercedes Smith, and in Calgary by Allison Lennox and Angela Cabucos.

Keurig 2.0 Launch - Digital Strategy – Gold Award, Best Electronic and Social Media Projects

This award recognizes the digital strategy deployed to support the launch of the Keurig 2.0 on behalf of our client Keurig Canada: overall approach, strategy, execution and results. This is the highest Canadian distinction for a digital programme.

The Keurig 2.0 launch team was notably comprised of Nicole Delorme, Sébastien Fassier and Maryse Bienvenu from our Montreal office.

Sherritt International Corporation, Obed Mountain Mine Crisis Response – Silver Award, Canadian Issues/Crisis Management Campaign of the Year

On October 31, 2013, a breach of a water containment pond occurred at Sherritt’s then-owned Obed Mountain coal mine near Hinton, Alberta; it was the largest breach in Canadian history at the time. The process water passed through multiple towns, cities, Aboriginal communities, industrial sites and farm lands. Sherritt immediately engaged us to develop its communications program and manage its team of external consultants. The strategy was based on the proactive delivery of clear, consistent and up-to-date information to all stakeholders, while working collaboratively with these stakeholders to address any substantiated impacts in ways that were appropriate and, where possible, mutually beneficial.

The effort, led by Nancy Arab and Beth Diamond in Calgary along with integral support from Ian McColl and Neil Babaluk, called upon staff expertise from our Vancouver, Halifax, Toronto, Montreal, St John’s and Ottawa offices. As a direct result of our efforts, we have established an ongoing relationship with the client. The power of the network and the strength of our team continues to impress them.

Mustang 50th Anniversary Celebration – Bronze Award, Best Special Events Projects

In 2014, NATIONAL helped Ford launch the new 2015 Mustang, which marked the 50th anniversary of the iconic Pony Car. This important milestone allowed Ford the opportunity to go beyond speaking to loyal Mustang fans and reach a new audience segment. By telling a more universal story and celebrating the car and its overall importance in popular culture, the more-than 12-month campaign showcased Ford as more than just a car and truck company. Media and consumers were exposed to a variety of narratives – including a Mustang-inspired Fashion collection – and a combination of virtual and in-vehicle experiences all telling the unique story of one of the world’s most iconic automobiles.

Led by the Toronto Consumer Marketing Practice, the cross-Canada campaign involved collaboration and contributions from our Atlantic, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver offices, along with support from NATIONAL agency partners in Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg.

Award winners will be presented with gold, silver and bronze award sculptures at the CPRS-SQPRP Awards Gala in Montreal on June 2 at Marché Bonsecours.

Congratulations and thank you to each one of you who played a role on these projects! Well done!