CPRS Toronto Recognizes the Best Public Relations Campaigns at the 2014 ACE Awards

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Toronto honoured the best in the city’s PR industry this evening at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards Gala. Held at the Arcadian Court, the ceremony acknowledged and celebrated the accomplishment of PR professionals in Toronto and the GTA.

“The ACE Awards are a superb way to recognize the outstanding work created by the Toronto PR industry through its communications campaigns,” said Maryjane Martin, chapter president, CPRS Toronto. “With so many exceptional submissions, this year’s judging panel certainly had its work cut out for themselves in selecting the best of the best in Toronto PR.”

The ACE Awards concluded with the presentation of the two most prestigious awards: Best PR Campaign of the Year and Best Creative PR Campaign of the Year. Edelman Canada and Ontario Graphite received top prize of PR Campaign of the Year for the strategic planning and execution of the Creating Community Partners and Advocates campaign and the Best Creative PR Campaign of the Year was awarded to Narrative PR for the innovation and creativity behind the Air Canada rouge – Countdown to Takeoff campaign.

“The ACE Award recipients are carefully selected by a judging panel of seasoned PR professionals,” said Carolyn Schulz, ACE Awards chair, CPRS Toronto. “The ACE Awards draw their prestige from being awarded from a panel of Toronto’s best and brightest PR practitioners.”

The 2014 ACE Award recipients include:

Best PR Campaign

• Edelman Canada and Ontario Graphite – Creating Community Partners and Advocates

Best Creative PR Campaign

• Narrative PR – Air Canada rouge – Countdown to Takeoff

Leadership Awards

• Lois Marsh Award: Vince Power
• CPRS Toronto Volunteer of the Year: Sarah Mac Kenzie Smith
• CPRS Toronto Young PR Professional of the year: Natalie Preddie
• CPRS Toronto Public Relations Student of the Year: Amanda Paterson

Media Relations – Budget Over $50,000

Gold

• Edelman Canada and Kraft Canada – Kraft Hockey Goes On

Silver

• Argyle Communications – The Breathe Right Sleep Pod Hotel Tour
• NATIONAL Public Relations and Ford of Canada – The Ford F-150 Drive Program
• NATIONAL Public Relations and Keurig Canada Inc. – Keurig + Pink Tartan: Creating the Perfect Cup
• Fleishman-Hillard Toronto – Restore Our Anthem
• Citizen Relations – Future Shop Holiday 2013
• Edelman Canada – Knorr What’s For Dinner?

Bronze

• DDB Public Relations – autoTRADER.ca: The Better Way to Buy and Sell Cars Campaign
• Canadian Tire Corporation – Canadian Tire Holiday 2013
• Canadian Tire Corporation – Science of Winter Driving
• McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd. – National Hiring Day 2013
• Unilever Canada and Edelman – Becel Heart of Truth
• APEX Public Relations Inc. – Nestlé Skinny Cow Chocolate Launch: Get The Skinny
• APEX Public Relations Inc. – Walmart Canada – Mom of the Year Award
• Veritas Communications/Microsoft Canada – Xbox One Launch
• Citizen & Hyundai – Hyundai Hockey Helpers
• Cowan & Company – Diane Keaton & L’Oréal Paris: Age Perfect
• Bayer Canada and Citizen – Bayer: Tick Prevention for Dogs

Media Relations – Budget under $50,000

Gold

• Argyle Communications – A Taste of Peanut Country
• NATIONAL Public Relations – Phase 4 Films’ Dead Before Dawn 3D Canadian Film Launch

Silver

• Ford of Canada – Ford F-150 Drive Program
• Tim Hortons & Paradigm Public Relations – Tim Hortons Camp Day
• Argyle Communications – Saputo Presents Lydia’s Italy Live
• NATIONAL Public Relations – Heffel Fine Art Auction House Fall 2013 Auction

Bronze

• Canadian Tire Corporation – Only in Canada: The Canadian Tire Ice Truck
• Paradigm PR & Energizer Canada – Sex in a canoe? Absolutely, we’re Canadian
• Randstad Canada and MSLGroup – Women Shaping
• Edelman Public Relations – VAWK for eBay by Sunny Fong
• Strategic Objectives and Ontario SPCA – Ontario SPCA Inaugural National Cupcake Day

Best Use of Special Events

Gold

• NATIONAL Public Relations – SiriusXM Ontario Road Trip
• Randstad Canada and MSLGroup – 2013 Randstad Award

Bronze

• Strategic Objectives and Ontario SPCA – Ontario SPCA First National Cupcake Day
• Strategic Objectives and Kruger Products – Air Canada rouge – Countdown to Takeoff
• Anne Vranic – Global TV’s launch of NBC series Chicago Fire
• Narrative PR – Scotiabank SCENE – The Summer of FREE

Brand Development Campaign of the Year

Silver

• McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd. – National Hiring Day 2013

Bronze

• Fleishman-Hillard – Lay’s Do Us A Flavour
• Citizen & Hyundai – Hyundai Hockey Helpers
• Canadian Olympic Committee – #WeAreWinter

Employee Engagement / Internal Communications Campaign of the Year

Gold

• Toronto Hydro – Toronto Hydro’s Community Involvement – investing in a better city

Silver

• DDB Canada – ShareDDB 2013
• Ford of Canada – Ford JDRF Race for the Cure

Bronze

• Vale Canada Limited – Vale in Canada: Long Harbour Completion Challenge (LHCC)

Community Relations Campaign of the Year

Gold

• Edelman Canada & Ontario Graphite Ltd – Creating Community Partners & Advocates

Best Digital Campaign of the Year

Bronze

• High Road Communication – Shop Small
• Paradigm PR & Energizer Canada – Quattro for Women Truth or Dare
• Seton & Reimagine PR – Seton Job Safety Videos
• Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited – Meet your new neighbour, Community Energy Storage

Crisis or Issues Management Campaign of the Year

Silver

• Toronto Hydro – Ice Storm 2013: Dark T.O.
• De Beers Canada ECA Team – 2013 Winter Road Blockade

Government Relations/Public Affairs Campaign of the Year

Gold

• Canadian Tire Corporation – ACTIVE AT SCHOOL

Bronze

• DDB Public Relations – ONGA Advocacy Campaign
• Argyle Communications – MTO Transit Panel: Choices & Consequences

Investor/Financial Relations Campaign of the Year

Gold

• Kaiser Lachance Communications – Purpose Investments – launch of corporate class funds

Bronze

• Fleishman-Hillard – The Third Rail – Confronting our pension failures

10th Annual White Cashmere Collections

Gold

• Veritas Communications/Microsoft Canada – Surface Has Landed
• Narrative PR – Air Canada rouge – Countdown to Takeoff

Silver

• APEX Public Relations Inc. – Nestlé Skinny Cow Chocolate Launch: Get The Skinny
• HTC Canada and Paradigm Public Relations – HTC One Launch in Canada
• Strategic Objectives and Kellogg Canada – The All-Bran Tweet Shop

Bronze

• DDB Public Relations – Subaru Forester Family Rally

Best Student PR Campaign of the Year

Gold

• Centennial College – Spotlight: Horizons
• Centennial College – #CANit2013

Silver

• Centennial College – Phony Party

The Canadian Public Relations Society is a national professional organization focused on establishing and upholding educational and ethical standards in Public Relations. CPRS Toronto is one of the largest local societies with nearly 600 members. For more information, please visit: https://www.cprstoronto.com.

Special thanks to our sponsors

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Marketwired

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CNW Group

Canadian Press

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Infomart

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