Narrative Advocacy Media earns the People's Choice Award at the IABC/Toronto OVATION Gala

TORONTO, May 31, 2012 /CNW/ - The Toronto chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) announced Narrative Advocacy Media as the winner of the 2012 People's Choice Award for its "Best Conversation Ever" campaign. The People's Choice Award is handed out annually in recognition of the best communications campaign of the year, as voted by IABC/Toronto members.

"Best Conversation Ever", developed for WIND Mobile by Narrative Advocacy Media, gave five Canadians the conversations of a lifetime, while donating more than $500,000 to Canadian charities. Starting with the simple question, "If you could talk to anyone in the world, who would it be?", the campaign brought to life WIND Mobile's brand promise of "The Power of Conversation." Through the campaign, five lucky Canadians will have the conversations of their lives with the likes of Michael J. Fox, Sidney Crosby, Christopher Nolan, Alex Anthopoulos and Brett Wilson.

The award was presented last night at the 27th annual OVATION Gala at the Liberty Grand in Toronto. In addition to the People's Choice Award, Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit and five Awards of Distinction were honoured.

"This year marked another exceptional, record-breaking year for the OVATION Awards, our industry-leading awards program," said Trell Huether, IABC/Toronto President. "The high calibre of this year's submissions demonstrates the significant amount of innovative work being done in the GTA communications community."

Awards of Distinction winners included:

• Diana Degan & Associates for the IABC/Toronto Boutique Agency of the Year
• MAVERICK PR for the IABC/Toronto Small Agency of the Year
• Strategic Objectives for the IABC/Toronto Mid-Size Agency of the Year
• Edelman Canada for the IABC/Toronto Large Agency of the Year
• Barrick Gold Corporation for the IABC/Toronto Corporate Communications Department of the Year

The IABC/Toronto Student of the Year Award went to Conestoga College student Bethany Cawker for her news release entitled "Consistency: The Key to Brand Resonance." IABC/Toronto presents the Student of the Year Award annually to an emerging communicator with a bright future.

The Bobbie Resnick Philanthropy Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership, contribution to the communications profession and service to the community, was also presented at the Gala. This year's recipient, the Friends for Life Foundation, was recognized for its work inspiring young professionals to give back to the community, and raising money for cancer and Cystic Fibrosis research and treatment.

The OVATION Awards recognize the best the communications industry has to offer in the Greater Toronto Area. Judging was performed by a panel of senior communications professionals, accredited practitioners and technical specialists. Two separate judges carefully reviewed each entry independently and then jointly reviewed the submissions and results. A full list of winners can be found at: http://toronto.iabc.com/pdf/2012IABCTorontoOVATIONWinners.pdf

The OVATION Awards Gala was graciously sponsored by News Canada, Canadian Press Images, CNW Group, Cision, Fusion Design Group and Sobey's.

About IABC/Toronto
With more than 1,800 members, IABC/Toronto is the largest IABC chapter in the world. The organization provides these members with multidisciplinary resources and a global network of more than 15,000 communicators, in 80 countries, working in diverse industries and disciplines to identify, share and apply the world's most effective communications practices. Website: http://toronto.iabc.com

Media contact:
Ashley Weinhandl
VP, Marketing Communications
[email protected]

Awards contact:
Katie O'Dell
VP, Awards
IABC/Toronto
[email protected]