2022 Winner
JURY PRIZE DEI
GoldBest Cultural Insights
GoldBest Integrated Campaign - Budget Over $250,000
GoldBest in Social Media
Budweiser (ABInBev)
"#TapeOutHate"
Dentsu & Anomaly
"#TapeOutHate"
Dentsu & Anomaly
The Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA) was formed in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in 2020 with the goal of eradicating racism and intolerance in hockey, where only 5.7% of players are BIPOC. Seeing an opportunity to deliver on its commitment to make hockey more inclusive, Budweiser partnered with the HDA to help realize this goal.
Research into the stories of BIPOC players led them to their insight: hockey’s aversion to controversy was the main obstacle in the way of change. That is what fueled the silence and inaction over the years and they needed to strike at that political correctness first.
The idea was born out of the game, taking the same roll of tape used to protect hockey sticks
from damage and repurposing it to protect hockey’s BIPOC minority from hate, symbolically
through words of support, but also literally using the proceeds from sales of special edition tape.
A fearless campaign was born: #TapeOutHate galvanized hockey’s fanbase and ignited an
unprecedented movement to eradicate racism in hockey. Drawing on the experiences of professional players, the campaign spotlighted harsh realities, and successfully disrupted a hockey culture that resists change and limits freedom of expression.
It set in motion an integrated campaign made up of three key pillars to shine a spotlight on the
issue and give fans and players a tool to drive change.
The campaign launched with a powerful two-minute video exposing hockey fans to the stark reality of racism in the game today. The video was shared on social media by current and former
NHL players, media outlets, influencers and hockey fans.
Reframe an Essential Piece of Hockey Gear
It produced over 10,000 rolls of hockey tape with the hashtag to give fans a way to show support, and make a financial contribution towards the movement.
With more tape being printed and the social conversation spreading to other professional sports,
#TapeOutHate continues to fund HDA initiatives.
This campaign truly takes to heart the ideal they always strive for: that “everything is media”. By
making hockey tape the physical centerpiece of their efforts, it created an innovative shorthand for allyship that fans can rally behind and amplify.
#TapeOutHate gave both players and fans a powerful tool to speak out and take a stand. The
campaign was the first ever to get picked up by the Associated Press and ESPN in the U.S., and
generated an outpouring of support from players and fans alike.
The response to the campaign was incredible; #TapeOutHate trended #1 organically on Twitter
within hours of launch. It generated more than 500 stories, totaling over 350MM earned media
impressions, hitting every major outlet in the country in under two weeks.
Over 2,000 rolls of hockey tape sold out online within six hours of launch. A second batch of 1,500 rolls was released within 48 hours and sold-out the same day. 10,000 more rolls hit Canada’s largest sports retailer and sold out within days. In addition to the tape, fans supported by purchasing merchandise from the HDA’s website, generating $200K+ of unanticipated dedicated funds in two weeks.
Budweiser received requests from hockey coaches and players in leagues across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, requesting tape for their teams and sharing their support/stories.
Research into the stories of BIPOC players led them to their insight: hockey’s aversion to controversy was the main obstacle in the way of change. That is what fueled the silence and inaction over the years and they needed to strike at that political correctness first.
The idea was born out of the game, taking the same roll of tape used to protect hockey sticks
from damage and repurposing it to protect hockey’s BIPOC minority from hate, symbolically
through words of support, but also literally using the proceeds from sales of special edition tape.
A fearless campaign was born: #TapeOutHate galvanized hockey’s fanbase and ignited an
unprecedented movement to eradicate racism in hockey. Drawing on the experiences of professional players, the campaign spotlighted harsh realities, and successfully disrupted a hockey culture that resists change and limits freedom of expression.
It set in motion an integrated campaign made up of three key pillars to shine a spotlight on the
issue and give fans and players a tool to drive change.
The campaign launched with a powerful two-minute video exposing hockey fans to the stark reality of racism in the game today. The video was shared on social media by current and former
NHL players, media outlets, influencers and hockey fans.
Reframe an Essential Piece of Hockey Gear
It produced over 10,000 rolls of hockey tape with the hashtag to give fans a way to show support, and make a financial contribution towards the movement.
With more tape being printed and the social conversation spreading to other professional sports,
#TapeOutHate continues to fund HDA initiatives.
This campaign truly takes to heart the ideal they always strive for: that “everything is media”. By
making hockey tape the physical centerpiece of their efforts, it created an innovative shorthand for allyship that fans can rally behind and amplify.
#TapeOutHate gave both players and fans a powerful tool to speak out and take a stand. The
campaign was the first ever to get picked up by the Associated Press and ESPN in the U.S., and
generated an outpouring of support from players and fans alike.
The response to the campaign was incredible; #TapeOutHate trended #1 organically on Twitter
within hours of launch. It generated more than 500 stories, totaling over 350MM earned media
impressions, hitting every major outlet in the country in under two weeks.
Over 2,000 rolls of hockey tape sold out online within six hours of launch. A second batch of 1,500 rolls was released within 48 hours and sold-out the same day. 10,000 more rolls hit Canada’s largest sports retailer and sold out within days. In addition to the tape, fans supported by purchasing merchandise from the HDA’s website, generating $200K+ of unanticipated dedicated funds in two weeks.
Budweiser received requests from hockey coaches and players in leagues across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, requesting tape for their teams and sharing their support/stories.
Credits
Group Creative Director: Neil BlewettCreative Director (FR): Etienne Bastien
Art Director: Jose Rivas, Graham Nhlamba
Copywriter: Lexie Hoffmeyer, Neil Blewett
Designer: Graham Nhlamba
Head of Design: Shawn Lambino
Business Director: Alexa Espinosa
Account Supervisor: Danielle Haberman
Agency producer: Annya Williams
Group Planning Director: Mahmoud El Kattan
Social strategist: Matthew Stasoff
Global Head of DE&I: Kristi Henderson
Group Business Head: Matt Holton
ECD/Partner: Dave Douglass
President/Partner: Candace Borland
Head of production: Marie-Pierre Toure
Association: Hockey Diversity Alliance
Founder & chairman: Akim Aliu
Director of client services at ZGM: Ben Archer
Social media strategists at ZGM: Logan Widdicombe
Advertiser/Brand: Budweiser Labatt
Company: ABinBev
Sr. Brand Manager, Budweiser Labatt: Dave Sheedy
Community Manager, Budweiser Labatt: Alex Metaxas
Sr. Director of Marketing, Budweiser Labatt: Mike D’Agostini
VP Marketing, Labatt: Andrew Oosterhuis
Strategy Manager, Labatt: Alicia Wakeham
Social Insights Manager, Draftline YYZ Labatt: Rachel Kielar
Community Manager, Draftline YYZ Labatt: Samantha Gibbard
Sr. Manager Connections, Labatt: Aleen Artinian
Communications Manager, Labatt: Veronica Bart
Director of Communications, Labatt: Tamar Nersesian
Legal Counsel, Labatt: Adam Nickerson
Marketing Compliance Manager, Labatt: Christine Arsenault
Public Relations: Veritas
Vice President: James Lamont
Associate Vice President, PR Creative Director: Ashley Therriault
Sr. Account Director: Julia Des Islets
Sr. Account Director: Donna Battista
Sr. Account Manager: Jessica Walcot
Sr. Consultant: Laura Andrejicka
Account Coordinator: Ambre Lissa
Account Coordinator: Madeline Tanenbaum
Media: Dentsu
SVP, Group Account Director: Lynn Mayer
Associate Director: Chris Pallotta
Supervisor: Tamara Sanchez-Vegas
Media Planning Assistant: Dhanushi Varma
Director, Digital Strategy: Megan Wong
Digital Account Manager: Nicolas Caceres