CPRS Toronto celebrates communications excellence at the 2019 ACE Awards Gala

TORONTO, May 23, 2019 /CNW/ - This evening, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Toronto Chapter celebrated the best public relations (PR) practitioners in the Greater Toronto Area at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards.

The event was attended by over 300 PR professionals at The Carlu and a record 111 ACE Awards were presented. The highly coveted awards represent skill, innovation and intelligence within the industry.

Best Creative PR Campaign of the Year - Weber Shandwick Canada for #BuickStyle: The Ultimate Driving Shoe (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto)

Best PR Campaign of the Year - DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch (CNW Group/Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto)

"This is one of the most anticipated nights of the year for the CPRS Toronto community," said Jenny Shin, Co-President, CPRS Toronto Chapter. "There was an incredible level of talent, not only in our award winners, but also in the audience. Tonight's gathering was a great representation of creative and strategic thinkers in this city."

The ACE Awards recognize communications campaigns in various categories including events, media relations, digital media 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.

DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada took home the trophy for Best PR Campaign of the Year for their memorable work on Digital Poppy Launch.

Weber Shandwick was honoured as the winner of Best Creative PR Campaign of the Year for their creative flair and passion behind #BuickStyle: The Ultimate Driving Shoe.

"This event wouldn't be possible without the dedicated support of our passionate volunteers who do everything from judging submissions to planning the perfect Gala night," said Anne Marie Males, ACE Awards Chair, CPRS Toronto Chapter. "We're also grateful to our sponsors who played a huge role in the success of the ACE Awards Gala."

The 2019 ACE Award recipients included:

Best PR Campaign of the Year

• DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch

Best Creative PR Campaign of the Year

• Weber Shandwick Canada for #BuickStyle: The Ultimate Driving Shoe

Best Crisis or Issues Management Campaign

• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Halmyre for CSA's Binary Options Awareness Campaign

Government Relations Campaign of the Year

• Bronze – Policy Concepts Inc. for More Home Care
• Bronze – Aviva Canada for Project Bumper
• Bronze – University of Toronto for "Support the Report" Campaign

Best Use of Special Events

• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for #BuickStyle: The Ultimate Driving Shoe
• Gold – Pomp & Circumstance for Sport Chek "Find What Moves You" Event
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada and Canadian Tire Corporation for Canadian Tire Christmas House
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for SPLENDA Stevia Sweetener "The Sweet Spot"
• Gold – Narrative and Casey House for Healing House
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for Air Canada Signature Service Launch
• Silver – Pomp & Circumstance for Grey Goose Marché Event
• Bronze – Paradigm Public Relations and Edgewell Personal Care for Schick Hydro Trade Deadline Campaign
• Bronze – Cadillac Fairview for Cadillac Fairview Blue Monday Pilot

Investor or Financial Relations Campaign of the Year

• Gold – Bridgehouse Asset Managers for Mental Health & The Financial Advice Relationship
• Silver – Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Interac Corp. for Avoid a #Clicktastrophe - Fraud Prevention Month 2018
• Silver – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Picton Mahoney for Picton Mahoney Fortified Fund

Community Relations Campaign of the Year

• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup: 2017/18 Season 
• Gold – Paradigm and Insurance Bureau of Canada for Flood Factor
• Gold – RSA Canada and APEX Public Relations for TruceTO: Bringing Harmony to our Streets
• Silver – Argyle Public Relationships and Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada for Hats for Hope
• Silver – Golin & PetSmart Charities of Canada for Helping Shelter Pets Thrive in the North

Best Digital Communications Campaign of the Year

• Gold – Narrative and Bayer Inc. for #IsIUCForMe
• Gold – DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch
• Silver – Proof Inc. and Canadian Red Cross for Be Part of the Equation
• Silver – Proof Inc. and Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association for Fraud=Fraud
• Silver – Sheridan College for April Fools' – Launching a Student Uniform
• Silver – ruckus Digital and Walmart Canada for Great Value: Building Quality Perception
• Silver – ruckus Digital and Planet Fitness for Planet Fitness Canada Digital Launch
• Bronze – Paradigm and Insurance Bureau of Canada for Flood Factor
• Bronze – Paradigm and NFL Canada for NFL Canada Kicks Off Influencer Program

Brand Development Campaign of the Year

• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for #BuickStyle: The Ultimate Driving Shoe
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for Certified Sustainable Beef
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup: 2017/18 Season
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for Air Canada Signature Service Launch
• Silver – Strategic Objectives for Volkswagen Canada Arteon Project
• Bronze – DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch

Employee Engagement/Internal Communications Campaign of the Year

• Gold – Veritas and Microsoft Canada for Kevin Peesker Executive Communications
• Gold – McDonald's Canada for Imagining the Future
• Silver – McDonald's Canada for the ourlounge App Launch
• Silver – McDonald's Canada for Serving Up Sustainable Beef
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Symcor for IT Transformation Internal Communications
• Bronze – McDonald's Canada for Sharing Some Cookie
• Bronze – Sheridan College for Sheridan@50: A Creative History for a Creative Campus

Student Public Relations Communications Plan of the Year

• Silver – Centennial College for Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Alumni
• Silver – The Storyworks City Scouts Group for The City Scouts City Smart Safety Program

New Product or Service Launch of the Year

• Gold – DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for #ShareSomeCookie: RMHC Cookie Launch
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for McCafé Bagel Launch
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for Air Canada Signature Service Launch
• Silver – Strategic Objectives for Kashi joi Launch
• Silver – Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Reebok Canada for PureMove
• Silver – ELEVATOR Communications Inc. for Tweed's Open Door - An Education
• Bronze – Weber Shandwick Canada and Canadian Tire Corporation for Triangle Rewards Launch
• Bronze – Weber Shandwick Canada for Hottest Collab of 2018: Big Mac x Bacon

Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year

• Gold – DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for #DiscussCannabis
• Gold – DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch
• Gold – Zeno Group and Johnson & Johnson Inc. for Reactine Allergy Feels
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada and Canadian Tire Corporation for The Woods Parka Lodge
• Gold – Walmart Canada, Interac Corp., APEX Public Relations, Kin Canada and ruckus Digital for Upstairs Amy: Scripted Content
• Gold – APEX Public Relations and ruckus Digital for Walmart Rewards Mastercard Goes Digital
• Gold – Proof Inc. and Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association for Fraud=Fraud
• Silver – DDB Public Relations for Beaches Jazz - 30 Years Strong!
• Silver – RBC and mint for Beyond Red Carpet: RBC@TIFF 2018
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for Beyond the Arch – Raptors x McDonald's
• Silver – Edelman Canada and Novartis for Extraordinary Moments
• Silver – Greater Toronto Airports Authority for Let's build #UnionStationWest
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for MacCoin: 50 Years of the Big Mac
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for McCafé Bagel Launch
• Silver – Argyle Public Relationships and UPS Canada for My Life, My Choice - Stress-free Holiday
• Silver – Paradigm, Nutella, 6Degrees Integrated Communications and Touché! for Pancakes Love Nutella
• Silver – APEX Public Relations, ruckus Digital, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic/Western Canada for RE/MAX: Integrated Communications 2018
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for SPLENDA Stevia Sweetener "The Sweet Spot"
• Silver – Craft Public Relations for Tetley Super Tea Break
• Silver – Craft Public Relations for The Disruptors Presented by Samuel Adams
• Silver – Edelman Canada and PayPal Canada for Women's Entrepreneurship Study
• Bronze – Golin for Crayola's Thank a Teacher Campaign
• Bronze – Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for Day of Mourning
• Bronze – Salesforce for FemaleForce
• Bronze – RSA Canada and APEX Public Relations for TruceTO
• Bronze – Argyle Public Relationships and Dietitians of Canada for Unlock the Potential of Food

Best Media Relations Campaign under $50,000

• Gold – Golin & PetSmart Charities of Canada for #PicMe! Helping Pets Find Forever Homes
• Silver – DDB Public Relations/DDB Canada for Digital Poppy Launch
• Silver – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Morneau Shepell for Trends in Human Resources Survey
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Choice Properties REIT for Bloor-Dundas Redevelopment Open House
• Bronze – IKEA Canada for LURVIG
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Royal LePage for The Royal LePage Peak Millennial Price Compare Study
• Bronze – Golin for PetSmart Canada supports the Toronto Pignic
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Picton Mahoney for Picton Mahoney Fortified Fund Launch
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications for Travelers Canada: Every Second Matters
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Royal LePage for The Royal LePage Boomer Survey

Best Media Relations Campaign over $50,000

• Gold – Zeno Group for Barilla Pasta World Championship
• Gold – Craft Public Relations for Bill Nye and The Launch of Nintendo Labo
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada for Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup: 2017/18 Season
• Gold – Craft Public Relations for GE Appliances: National Laundry Day 2018
• Gold – Narrative and Casey House for Healing House
• Gold – APEX Public Relations, ruckus Digital and RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic/Western Canada for RE/MAX: Media Relations Campaign 2018
• Gold – Weber Shandwick Canada and Canadian Tire Corporation for Triangle Rewards Launch
• Gold – APEX Public Relations for Walmart Online Grocery: Easy, fast and fresh no matter what you're busy with
• Gold – CO-OP for Xref's Entry into Canada
• Silver – Kaiser Lachance Communications and ADP Canada for Insights into the Canadian Workplace
• Silver – Kaiser Lachance Communications and ADP Canada for the National Employment Report
• Silver – Weber Shandwick Canada for Air Canada Signature Service Launch
• Silver – Strategic Objectives and Kellogg's Canada for Frosted Flakes Grrreatest Playoff Beard
• Silver – Citizen Relations and President's Choice® for President's Choice® #EatTogether 2018
• Bronze – Zeno Group for Butterball How We Turkey
• Bronze – Golin for Joe Montana Touches Down in Toronto for DAZN
• Bronze – Weber Shandwick Canada for #BuickStyle: The Ultimate Driving Shoe
• Bronze – Kaiser Lachance Communications and Royal LePage for The Royal LePage House Price Survey
• Bronze – CO-OP for autoTRADER.ca Consumer PR Program

Leadership Awards

• Lois Marsh Award – Martin Waxman
• PR Student of the Year – Maxim Naylor
• Educator of the Year – Donna Lindell
• PR Practitioner of the Year – Andrea Donlan

About CPRS

Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit association of professionals dedicated to the practice, management and teaching of public relations and communications. Comprising 14 local societies, CPRS' mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development and accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, a commitment to ethics and a code of professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support to members at every stage of their careers.

SOURCE Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto

Jessica Rabaey, [email protected]