2021 Winner
BronzeBest in Experiential/Special Event/Stunts - Budget Under $100,000
Advertising and Design
Club of Canada
"ADCC All-Nighter Webathon"
Zulu Alpha Kilo
Club of Canada
"ADCC All-Nighter Webathon"
Zulu Alpha Kilo
The Advertising & Design Club of Canada (ADCC) is Canada’s oldest non-profit advertising and design club. For 72 years, it has brought the Canadian advertising and design communities together with year round industry events, speaker series, student competitions, and the annual ADCC Awards show. But with the economic impact of COVID-19 hitting the industry hard, the ADCC suddenly found itself in danger of closing down. As a non-profit organization, the ADCC relies on the revenue generated through events to fund 100% of its operation. With its events cancelled, its revenue evaporated.
To keep the club alive, the ADCC needed to raise $75,000 to ensure its continuing existence. And true to the industry, there was a deadline: the agency had one month to raise the funds or the
ADCC would shut down.
They began by examining the unique role the ADCC has within the creative industry. As Canada’s oldest ad and design club, it’s been around for 72 years as a non-profit organization helping
the entire industry.
As they researched with their colleagues, they realized that for many creatives, the ADCC is one of the first organizations they engage with and one of the first awards shows they attend. That early exposure to the excitement of the industry is an unforgettable thing.
They also realized there’s a large community of people who have benefited from the ADCC. Among many industry’s veterans, they noted a strong sense of nostalgia and fondness for the organization, based on the role it had early on in their careers.
Knowing the ADCC had a special place in their hearts shaped the strategy. The campaign needed to tap into the nostalgia people felt for what the organization had done for them personally and to rally them to do their part in saving the organization.
In an environment where virtual gatherings were suddenly the norm, the ADCC All-Nighter was the solution perfectly suited to the moment. Based on a simple proposition, a 24-hour webathon to save 72 years of creativity, the idea was born from a phrase everyone in advertising understands:
Pulling an all-nighter.
The effort had two parts: an online fundraising webathon inspired by old-fashioned TV telethons of yesteryear and a social campaign that drove awareness to the event itself.
In the lead up to the Webathon, social media spread the word. Executions included: “You’ll never forget your first,” posts highlighting the first wins of advertising and design professionals who became industry leaders; great Canadian overdub, posts with iconic Canadian ads (the legendary Canadian Tire “Red Bicycle” and the Vim “Prisoner” spots) were overdubbed with a plea to help save the ADCC; and Segment posts, highlighting the segments and speakers taking part in the webathon
In addition to posting to their owned social channels, the ADCC leveraged advertising leaders (and legends) who were participating in the event (featured speakers, panellists, etc.) along with the ADCC board of directors. These influencers provided valuable existing networks to promote the webathon.
To keep the audience engaged and raise the necessary funds, the schedule was filled with debates, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories of brilliant campaigns. Lighthearted segments included a copywriter battle, the ADCC president reading entire awards annuals to his kids, and a breakfast Q&A over Cheerios with Cossette’s CCO Peter Ignazi. Ad legends Alex Bogusky and David Droga came together for the first time ever to discuss how they helped shape modern-day advertising.
Local and international industry media covered the event after it was over, generating
additional donations.
This initiative to save the ADCC was successful due to the power of the media idea. A 24-hour web-a-thon was an ideal media channel to connect the industry when little connection was happening & brought the power of a united front to bear on the cause. The relevant content & comradery, only possible due to the media avenue, surely contributed to the contribution goal being successful.
Normally, people in the ad industry pitch against each other. This time around, everyone pitched in together. After decades of the ADCC supporting Canadian creatives, the ADCC All-Nighter brought the industry together to return the favour.
The webathon created a fresh, engaging way to help one of the industry’s most valued members and raised collective spirits. It provided an opportunity for people to connect, engage, and crack some jokes just as they would at a regular industry event. Creatives from across Canada and around
the world participated.
The experiential approach to the ADCC’s challenge demonstrated the power of an idea created expressly for a highly specialized audience: in 24 hours, in the middle of a global crisis and extreme economic uncertainty, more than 3,000 unique viewers tuned in, average watch time per segment was 29 minutes, over 1,400 total hours were watched, ADCC and the event received global press coverage in every major trade publication and individual donors contributed 43% and corporate donors contributed 57% of funds raised.
Within one day, the collective community raised every dollar needed (over $75,000) and saved the most important institution in Canada’s creative landscape, preserving it for generations to come.
To keep the club alive, the ADCC needed to raise $75,000 to ensure its continuing existence. And true to the industry, there was a deadline: the agency had one month to raise the funds or the
ADCC would shut down.
They began by examining the unique role the ADCC has within the creative industry. As Canada’s oldest ad and design club, it’s been around for 72 years as a non-profit organization helping
the entire industry.
As they researched with their colleagues, they realized that for many creatives, the ADCC is one of the first organizations they engage with and one of the first awards shows they attend. That early exposure to the excitement of the industry is an unforgettable thing.
They also realized there’s a large community of people who have benefited from the ADCC. Among many industry’s veterans, they noted a strong sense of nostalgia and fondness for the organization, based on the role it had early on in their careers.
Knowing the ADCC had a special place in their hearts shaped the strategy. The campaign needed to tap into the nostalgia people felt for what the organization had done for them personally and to rally them to do their part in saving the organization.
In an environment where virtual gatherings were suddenly the norm, the ADCC All-Nighter was the solution perfectly suited to the moment. Based on a simple proposition, a 24-hour webathon to save 72 years of creativity, the idea was born from a phrase everyone in advertising understands:
Pulling an all-nighter.
The effort had two parts: an online fundraising webathon inspired by old-fashioned TV telethons of yesteryear and a social campaign that drove awareness to the event itself.
In the lead up to the Webathon, social media spread the word. Executions included: “You’ll never forget your first,” posts highlighting the first wins of advertising and design professionals who became industry leaders; great Canadian overdub, posts with iconic Canadian ads (the legendary Canadian Tire “Red Bicycle” and the Vim “Prisoner” spots) were overdubbed with a plea to help save the ADCC; and Segment posts, highlighting the segments and speakers taking part in the webathon
In addition to posting to their owned social channels, the ADCC leveraged advertising leaders (and legends) who were participating in the event (featured speakers, panellists, etc.) along with the ADCC board of directors. These influencers provided valuable existing networks to promote the webathon.
To keep the audience engaged and raise the necessary funds, the schedule was filled with debates, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories of brilliant campaigns. Lighthearted segments included a copywriter battle, the ADCC president reading entire awards annuals to his kids, and a breakfast Q&A over Cheerios with Cossette’s CCO Peter Ignazi. Ad legends Alex Bogusky and David Droga came together for the first time ever to discuss how they helped shape modern-day advertising.
Local and international industry media covered the event after it was over, generating
additional donations.
This initiative to save the ADCC was successful due to the power of the media idea. A 24-hour web-a-thon was an ideal media channel to connect the industry when little connection was happening & brought the power of a united front to bear on the cause. The relevant content & comradery, only possible due to the media avenue, surely contributed to the contribution goal being successful.
Normally, people in the ad industry pitch against each other. This time around, everyone pitched in together. After decades of the ADCC supporting Canadian creatives, the ADCC All-Nighter brought the industry together to return the favour.
The webathon created a fresh, engaging way to help one of the industry’s most valued members and raised collective spirits. It provided an opportunity for people to connect, engage, and crack some jokes just as they would at a regular industry event. Creatives from across Canada and around
the world participated.
The experiential approach to the ADCC’s challenge demonstrated the power of an idea created expressly for a highly specialized audience: in 24 hours, in the middle of a global crisis and extreme economic uncertainty, more than 3,000 unique viewers tuned in, average watch time per segment was 29 minutes, over 1,400 total hours were watched, ADCC and the event received global press coverage in every major trade publication and individual donors contributed 43% and corporate donors contributed 57% of funds raised.
Within one day, the collective community raised every dollar needed (over $75,000) and saved the most important institution in Canada’s creative landscape, preserving it for generations to come.
Credits
Agency: Zulu Alpha KiloCreative Director: Zak Mroueh
Writer: Nick Asik, Jackson Kemp, Dan Cummings
Art Director: Jenny Luong, Michael Romaniuk, Vic Bath
Designer: Jeff Watkins, Vince Rozas, Zoe Kim
Client: Advertising & Design Club of Canada
Clients: Michelle Ovcaric, Andrew Simon
Account Team: Erin McManus, Nina Bhayana, Rob Feightner
Planner: Tim Hopkins
Senior Producer(Agency Producer): Rebecca Adams
Digital Producer(Agency Producer): Michael Oshell
Editor: Felipe Chaparro, Ashlee Mitchell, Jessie Posthumous, Noah Mroueh
Post Production Producer: Sarah Dayus
Post Production: Zulubot
Studio Director: Greg Heptinstall
Studio Artist: Ashleigh O’Brien, Jeannette Downes, Andrew Martin
Audio House: 6Degrees
Host: Christian Goutsis