Christina Day

It’s Awards Season! And we’re excited to announce that NOW and our clients have won six awards at the 2022 Reed Awards.

Recognizing excellence in campaign and advocacy advertising, this year’s Reed Awards include international entries from across Europe, Latin America, and Australia.

We’re thrilled that NOW’s work stood out to the judges. This year, our clients’ campaigns have been honoured with top awards for:

• Best Canadian TV Ad
• Best Canadian Online Video
• Best Canadian Online Ad Campaign
• Best International Use of Outdoor Advertising
• Best International Online Ad Campaign

We couldn’t be more proud of the work that our team and our clients are doing – to make life better for people.

And as NOW celebrates our 30^th anniversary, we’re especially proud to have been named Best International Firm. It’s an honour we share with our clients and production partners across Canada.

Take a look at one of our winning entries!

Best International Online Ad Campaign

Parallel Stories
Campaign: Care Can’t Wait
Client: Hospital Employees’ Union

Long-term care needs a long-term fix. Working with the Hospital Employees’ Union in BC, our team designed a new iteration of HEU’s Care Can’t Wait campaign – with fresh creative, an innovative approach to storytelling, and a beautiful new website.

To bring the stories of long-term care residents and workers to life, we developed two ads that complement each other. Told from the perspective of a senior and a worker, these ads reflect the compassion and dedication that workers demonstrate every day – and how it means the world to seniors living in care.

To find out more and show your support for the campaign, visit CareCantWait.ca.

From casual viewers to die-hard fans, Canadian audiences can’t get enough sports.

28 million Canadians tuned into TV coverage of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, according to CBC. Viewership for digital video soared by 62 per cent over the previous games.

And this winter, from the Beijing Olympic Games to the World Cup qualifying matches, millions of people are watching Canada win.

Sporting events offer huge potential to reach audiences. But too often, public sector and non-profit advertisers aren’t taking advantage of every opportunity to get into the game. And that could be a mistake.

There’s a myth that it’s mostly men who watch sports. But it’s just not true.

Watching sports – with a seat-warmer underneath you or from the comfort of your own home – is an event for the entire family. And if there was ever a gender-gap in sports viewership, it’s disappeared.

Women account for nearly half of all NHL hockey viewers, as of fall 2020. And women’s sporting events draw enormous ratings.

When the Canadian women’s soccer team won gold in Tokyo, over 4.4 million viewers were watching, making it the most-watched event by Canadians at the Olympics.

Sports viewers are exactly the audiences who need to hear your message.

And now, there are more ways than ever to get noticed – no matter what your budget.

Here are 8 tactics to help get you in the game.

1. Cut through with targeted TV for big events

Sure, multiple Super Bowl ads might be out of reach. But you can still consider TV with targeted reach to make it more affordable.

For instance, it’s possible to buy one TV spot for the Super Bowl or for just one night of Hockey Night in Canada in just one region – putting your message on the air for a big audience without breaking the bank.

2. Show up on sports radio

It’s where fans go when they’re on the go. And radio is affordable and widely-available.

Here’s a bonus. Radio has huge creative potential. Just imagine the sound effects!

3. Do a digital takeover

Sports fans turn to The Score and other popular sports news sites to keep up with every goal and every trade. Digital ads and website takeovers are a great way to reach new eyes.

4. Make a splash with out-of-home advertising

When CUPE 500 in Winnipeg needed to save local pools and arenas from being shut down, we worked together to design an award-winning campaign featuring billboards near the facilities at risk of closure.

We caught drivers’ attention as they drove their kids to the pool and arena, raising awareness with a highly targeted message that was instantly relevant to people’s lives.

5. Sponsor a sporting event

In Saskatchewan, SGEU has sponsored the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for years. And it’s a brilliant way of building brand recognition and supporting the community. Every month, there’s even a SGEU MVP of the Month.

From sponsoring a national event to supporting local and regional leagues, sports events bring communities together. Showing up is a great way to show your support.

6. Get noticed with rink board advertising

How often is your audience sitting with your ad for… hours?

Rink boards are a fantastic way to reach arena audiences and make a big impression. Avoid faces on rink boards – because puck marks are going to happen. And stick with a message that’s clear, simple, and tailored to fans.

7. Go deep with podcasts

Dedicated sports fans love their podcasts. And there’s lots to choose from. Sportsnet alone produces at least 19 podcast shows!

That’s a lot of ears. And podcast listeners love storytelling that speaks directly to them.

8. Get creative

Every ad needs a hook. And sports offer great potential for creative concepts.

Depending on your campaign, a partnership with a local team might make sense. Interviews with athletes and coaches – well-known local sports personalities – are a great tactic to help public health messages reach a larger audience.

Got questions? Want to explore tactics for your next campaign? Give us a call! We’re always here to help.  

After two years of COVID-19, people working in health care across the country are reaching a breaking point.

It’s hard work. And every shift brings more hard moments for workers on the frontlines.

When provincial governments pick fights with workers and undermine public health care, it makes the job even harder.

This week, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents nearly 30,000 members across the province, has launched a new campaign to pay tribute to the dedication of every health care professional – and start to build the case for action to ensure health care is there when Albertans need it.

The new ad, Who We Work For, shows the relentless challenges that health care workers are facing. And their unrelenting commitment to deliver the care that Albertans count on.

Working with HSAA, we wanted to give voice to the exhaustion that health care professionals are feeling, while reminding viewers that the workers inside Alberta’s hospitals and clinics are on the same side as their patients.

Who We Work For does just that. It connects HSAA members to the public that they support day in and day out. And it elevates the importance of public health care in the minds of Albertans.

As the province faces yet another wave of COVID-19 without the investment and support that the health care system needs, there is only one thing that is keeping health care workers going and that is their commitment to their patients.

“We know who we work for,” the ad concludes. “We do it for you.”

It’s a big year at NOW.

We’re celebrating 30 years of creating great campaigns for good causes. And we couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve done with you.

Our work is all about people.

It started with a few visionary communicators in Vancouver – and an idea for a new kind of creative agency: one that works to promote social good.

We wanted to create an advertising agency that would serve progressive causes and social good right across the country. We wanted to work with clients we believed in.”

Ron Johnson, founding co-partner

The world of advertising is constantly changing. And our team has changed, too. But the values that drive NOW forward have stayed consistent from the very start.

Our mission has always been to create ad campaigns that help make life better for everyday people.

And that’s what drives us forward every day. Since 1992 we’ve been jumping into the fight – to protect public services, improve workers’ rights, and build a more secure and sustainable future for everyone.

We don’t just make beautiful ads. We work strategically to change minds – and shift behaviours.

Thirty years ago, I could never have imagined the many accomplishments we would achieve and the enduring impact The NOW Group would have on causes and policies from coast to coast.”

Ron Johnson, founding co-partner

From our earliest projects to reduce tobacco use amongst young people to our most recent campaigns to end gender-based violence, we’ve worked on thousands of projects with incredible clients and colleagues across Canada.

We’re proud to be part of campaigns that have helped thousands of workers win better wages, better benefits, and more job security.

We’ve helped build stronger connections between parents and teachers. And between patients and frontline health care workers.

We’ve helped progressive leaders connect with millions of voters – and even win a few elections.

And along the way, we’ve trained a generation of communicators in the art of message: Connect, Contrast, and Solve!

Making change is not only about winning arguments. It is also about winning hearts and mind. It’s a lot more nuanced than selling a product.”

Ron Johnson, founding co-partner

It’s all about people.

What started as an idea 30 years ago has grown into what NOW is today: Canada’s leading creative agency dedicated to positive change. We’re constantly evolving, adapting and embracing new ways of communicating.

And we’re incredibly proud to be that rare ad agency that’s actually led by women – at every level.

We’re grateful for the opportunities our clients have given us over the past 30 years, and and all the work you’ve done to help make life better for others.

Together, let’s do even more good.

Read the reflections of NOW’s founding co-partner Ron Johnson here.

Back in 1991 the advertising team working on Mike Harcourt and the BC NDP’s successful BC election campaign bonded. We liked working together, and I realized something important: there are very specific skills required for political and advocacy advertising – skills that are not usually found in mainstream advertising. Making change is not only about winning arguments, it is also about winning hearts and minds. It’s a lot more nuanced than selling a product.

So, when TV and entertainment producer Shane Lunny pitched the idea for breaking new ground and creating a new kind of ad agency I signed on. He had the creative cool and infrastructure, Dennis McGann and I had strategic campaign experience. The fourth founding partner was Larry Huber, Shane’s business manager. I knew nothing about running a business and wouldn’t have risked it without Larry’s reassuring presence. The NOW Communications Group was born in a funky old brick office on Beatty Street in Vancouver 30 years ago.

We wanted to create an advertising agency that would serve progressive causes and social good right across the country. We wanted to work with clients we believed in. Our very first advocacy campaign was for the BC Federation of Labour. They needed to pave the way for labour law reform and close off potential opposition from employers. We did opinion research, developed a message, and came up with our TV campaign for ‘fair and balanced labour laws’. The client was happy, the reforms were implemented without a hitch, and the rest as they say, is history.

In the mid-1990s our work started gaining international recognition. NOW’s anti-tobacco campaign for the BC Ministry of Health really put us on the map. Then, in 1999 NOW scored a breakthrough with the successful election campaign for Manitoba Premier Gary Doer. And NOW went national.

I’m particularly proud that the mainstay of NOW’s client base over the years has been unions. Making life better for ordinary working people is sometimes hard work, but it is always worthwhile. Thirty years ago, I could never have imagined the many accomplishments we would achieve and the enduring impact The NOW Group would have on causes and policies from coast to coast. Congratulations to the whole team! May the next 30 years bring ever more success for you and your clients.

Ron Johnson co-founded, and is a former partner, of NOW. He remains a source of inspiration and wisdom for our team.

To start the New Year, Jenn Bowie, our digital media buyer, and Aylwin Lo, NOW’s creative technology specialist, sat down for a conversation about cookies. The digital kind!

They talked about how the use of cookies is changing and what that means for our campaigns and the ability to reach audiences.

Spoiler alert – building your own community of supporters is going to become even more important to helping you reach persuadable audiences who share your interests.

Here’s what Jenn and Aylwin had to say.

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Aylwin: Let’s start with the basics, Jenn. What is a cookie?

Jenn: A cookie is a little bit of code that your browser uses to communicate information back and forth with a website you’re visiting, like what you looked at, if you filled anything out, how long you spent and what you clicked. From an advertising perspective, a cookie lets you build and track different audience segments – helping you to reach them.

AL: The cookie is something that we’re used to seeing and hearing about. But it’s going away. Why is that?

JB: Not all cookies are going away. First-party cookies that allow your browser to communicate directly with the site it’s visiting will still exist, but third-party cookies that allow sites to share information with advertisers are being phased out.

A lot of it has to do with Google’s business model. Google Chrome has something like 83 percent of market share in North America, which is huge. And other browsers are following what Google does to make sure that they stay competitive with Chrome.

AL: Okay, so it’s not fair to talk about “the death of the cookie”? Is it more accurate to say that the cookie is just becoming a first-party tool rather than a third-party tool?

JB: Yes, I would say the “death of the cookie” is, actually, more of an evolution.

Remember when the pandemic started and people really got into baking? I saw Oreos baked into chocolate chip cookies. And I thought, “That’s kind of an evolved cookie!”

Now, our digital cookies are evolving, too. This is not necessarily bad and it’s not necessarily good, but the unknown is what keeps us media nerds on top of our game!

AL: What do we expect will replace third-party cookies?

JB: That’s the million-dollar question!

There’s a couple of different efforts. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is working with digital providers on the Unified ID (UID) and Google has also introduced something called Privacy Sandbox.

It’s not clear which of those two things – or if both of them – will be used moving forward.

COVID has complicated this situation and slowed things down, as well. When the “death of the cookie” was first announced, it was supposed to happen in 2020. Then it was supposed to be gone by June 2021 and now it’s looking like it will be late 2022 at the earliest.

AL: What does this all mean for advertisers? What are media plans going to look like, going forward?

JB: Strong media plans will be based on first-party data. And I can see a lot of campaigns moving towards direct buys and real-life indicators.

I also see contextual methods coming back in a really big way for the programmatic space. So, rather than matching content to audience behaviour, it’s more likely to match ad content with the context of the page.

If you’re reading an article about health care, you might get an ad related to health care, or if you’re reading an article about the importance of education and childhood development you might get an ad from a teachers’ union. It will be much more common to align the content to the context of the ad.

We’re constantly checking in with the companies we buy digital advertising from about what this cookie change means for the services they can provide. And we will continue to only use vendors that can give us reporting that can be validated because, at the end of the day, that is the most important thing. It’s about delivering quality results – and that’s what we’ll continue to do for our clients.

AL: Is there Canada-specific knowledge to keep in mind?

JB: Canadians are a very different population to those in other places. So it is incredibly important to understand how vendors are coming to the conclusions they’re coming to. Sometimes they will come to you with bright shiny things, thinking they have the best stuff around, but it comes with six asterisks and it’s based on U.S. data, not Canadian data.

It’s more important than ever to understand the credibility of who you’re working with, and ask those important questions – and really challenge people on what they’re telling you. There are people who have really amazing data but not everybody does, yet everybody will tell you they do. Vet it thoroughly and have transparent conversations with partners you trust.

Be wary of anyone who says they can get a million impressions for a hundred dollars. It’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality.

AL: How do you think these changes might affect how campaigns perform or do you think it’ll be just different?

JB: It will just be different!

I liken this to other changes in the digital space. Remember pop-ups? They were very common for a long time, and then went away. People thought that was the death of digital advertising!

But we’ve changed the way we think about advertising online. Now there’s these set positions on the page where ads exist and it’s a better user experience.

Digital media is constantly evolving. This change is a big news item but, every year, there’s a ton of little changes that get made in the digital space and it’s what makes it a dynamic and interesting medium. It can cause anxiety around effectiveness, but as long as you’re working with a team that has the knowledge that helps you succeed, you’ll be able to continue to succeed.

AL: I have to ask one last question, Jenn. What is your favourite cookie?

JB: Haha! My favourite type of cookie is one my grandma used to have – these little rolled up wafers that were long and like a straw. I really loved those and, when I was a kid at her house, we’d have them with tea. Now, every time I see them I smile because they remind me of good times. They’re called Pirouette cookies!

Every campaign has a purpose.

And the Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards recognize excellence in marketing campaigns that do what they’re supposed to do.

It’s about changing minds and shifting behaviours. And it takes smart strategy, top-notch creative, and a talented production crew.

Our team is thrilled to win 4 awards at the 2021 Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards!

The competition featured over 1,900 entries from 14 countries, with winners announced in late December. Only 7 percent of entries were recognized with winning status.

The 2021 Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards included entries from Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Latvia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

We’re incredibly proud that our clients’ campaigns stood out to the judges – and won recognition in Government Marketing, Healthcare / Medicine Industry Marketing, Education Marketing, and Outdoor Advertising.

Congratulations to our clients and production partners across Canada!

Platinum Award – Health/Medicine Industry Marketing

Client: Health Sciences Association of Alberta
Campaign: Public Health Care Campaign

Silver Award – Education Marketing

Client: Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
Ad: Building Up

Silver Award – Outdoors & Out-of-Home

Client: CUPE Local 500 (Winnipeg)
Campaign: It’s Yours

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Best of Category – Government Marketing

Client: Province of British Columbia
Ad: Every Morning

Great ads have the power to make you giggle. Or bring you to the edge of tears.

Tell a story in seconds. And change your mind, forever.

They can be beautiful and cinematic. Or simple – and effective.

But no matter what, great ads make us feel something. They stick with us. And leave impressions that last.

Here’s just a few of our team’s favourite ads from around the world in 2021. Enjoy!

Government of France – Parce que l’on rêve tous de se retrouver, vaccinons-nous !

This heart-warming scene of two children racing to hug their grandmother conveys one of the best reasons to get vaccinated: It’s the way to embrace our loved ones again.

100% Pure New Zealand – Travelling Under the Social Influence

New Zealand welcomed tourists back in 2021 with an appeal to avoid travelling under the “social influence” – and share something new.

Visit Sweden – Discover the Originals

The folks at Sweden’s national tourism agency sure know how to connect with an international audience. And they want us to forget about IKEA!

Mint Mobile – Dream Job

A sequel to Match Made in Hell, Ryan Reynolds delivers again – with a hilarious ad featuring the newest employee at Big Wireless.

UNICEF – Don’t Let the Vaccine Become a Luxury

An incredibly simple concept, this 30 second ad and print campaign from Norway delivers a message that’s as important today as ever.

Inspired by Iceland – Icelandverse

Just try not laughing out loud at Inspired by Iceland’s response to the “Metaverse.”

Deutsche Welle – Sleepless Nights for Autocrats

With the perfect soundtrack and just a few simple lines of text, this ad from Germany’s international broadcaster delivers the message that DW’s journalism makes it harder for autocrats to sleep at night.

Government of Chile – Campaña #YoNoFui

You don’t have to understand Spanish to understand the message of this ad. We also love the gorgeous artistic direction.

From everyone at The NOW Group, happy holidays and happy new year!