2024 Winner
GoldMedia Collaboration: Best Partnering
Acadie Nouvelle / L’Actualité / Les Affaires / Les Coops de l’info / Le Devoir
"Fake News, Real Impact"
URBANIA
"Fake News, Real Impact"
URBANIA
In August 2023, META blocked Canadian news on Facebook and Instagram, responding to Bill C-18's mandate for web giants to pay media royalties. This left Canadians with a social media landscape devoid of credible news, dominated by trivial content.
Ironically, dubious "news" sources prevailed, fueling misinformation. The worst part is that all this happened without the population realizing it, placing them in a concerning media deficit. In response, a coalition of credible media outlets including L'Acadie Nouvelle, L'actualité, Les Affaires, Les Coops de l'Info, Le Devoir, and URBANIA, already convened to discuss the situation, decided to take action to expose this media blockade and increase social awareness about its consequences. The main challenge: How to engage people on a problem they didn't realize affected them?
The campaign's ingenious concept was a digital trojan horse: create eye-catching "fake news" posts on social media that, when clicked, redirected users to awareness-raising content about the news blockade. This clever tactic caught unsuspecting users red-handed, exposing their
vulnerability to misinformation.
The initiative relies on a dual approach: first, it uses cleverly crafted "fake news" to hook viewers, exploiting the very mechanisms it aims to critique. Then, it pivots, leveraging the credibility of major media outlets to reveal the ruse and drive home the importance of reliable journalism. Creativity meets authority: a winning formula for media impact.
Eighteen fake news stories were crafted, styled after gossip sites, and designed to be irresistibly clickbait. These stories, featuring well-known personalities (who agreed to participate), played off regional Quebec news. Hosted on a fake site, and shared via fake Facebook and Instagram accounts, they easily bypassed the blocking policy, proving its editorial absurdity while piquing users' curiosity.
Clicking led users to alasource.info, where they were greeted by either Pierre Bruneau or Noémi Mercier, two highly respected news anchors. In a short video, they expressed surprise at the users' credulity before delivering a passionate plea about the urgency of the situation and the importance of supporting local media.
The highly convincing fake news stories enabled both celebrities and ordinary users to share them, driving organic growth. Meanwhile, this social media creativity became the springboard for traditional media to discuss the campaign's ingenuity and address the news blocking issue.
In a coordinated effort, participating media outlets simultaneously published a manifesto on the societal impact of news blocking, while spokesperson Brian Myles gave high-profile interviews. PR agency National orchestrated involvement from over twenty socio-economic entities, including political offices and chambers of commerce. The campaign's strength lay in its sophisticated orchestration: a diverse alliance of stakeholders working in harmony to create both intrigue and credibility.
The campaign stood out creatively by ingeniously using META's platforms to expose their own flaws. This approach not only reached the target audience but starkly revealed the dubious quality of remaining social media content after the news block. Nearly twenty meticulously crafted headlines, reflecting regional news and celebrities, were designed for maximum authenticity and broad appeal. Every element, from the fake site to clickbait-style banners, was strategically planned
to ensure credibility.
A dozen renowned local personalities volunteered their identities, sharing fake news pro bono to boost the initiative's viral potential. This organic distribution strategy, coupled with high-quality execution, lent crucial credibility, driving public engagement and media coverage.
The campaign's innovative approach achieved two crucial goals: it engaged a new audience typically disconnected from local media, while simultaneously rekindling debate within traditional media circles. This combination triggered a broad awareness movement about META's news blocking.
By seamlessly integrating into users' daily social media experiences, the campaign offered a firsthand lesson in the consequences of media banning. It conveyed a powerful message: misinformation affects everyone, and reliable information is best sourced directly.
The campaign skyrocketed immediately upon launch, thanks to a coordinated effort from all participants for simultaneous promotion. Within days, it caught the attention of major media outlets beyond the initial participants, including La Presse, several shows on 98.5 FM and Radio-Canada, and even secured a segment on the popular TV show "Tout le monde en parle" on December 10, 2023. This important media coverage significantly amplified the campaign's reach, all achieved
through organic growth.
The initiative garnered over 110,000 page views in under a month. With an average visit duration of 1 minute and 18 seconds, it's clear that visitors were actively engaging with the featured video content. Perhaps most impressively, nearly 20% of traffic came from direct URL entries, underscoring the campaign's ability to generate genuine curiosity and word-of-mouth buzz.
Ironically, dubious "news" sources prevailed, fueling misinformation. The worst part is that all this happened without the population realizing it, placing them in a concerning media deficit. In response, a coalition of credible media outlets including L'Acadie Nouvelle, L'actualité, Les Affaires, Les Coops de l'Info, Le Devoir, and URBANIA, already convened to discuss the situation, decided to take action to expose this media blockade and increase social awareness about its consequences. The main challenge: How to engage people on a problem they didn't realize affected them?
The campaign's ingenious concept was a digital trojan horse: create eye-catching "fake news" posts on social media that, when clicked, redirected users to awareness-raising content about the news blockade. This clever tactic caught unsuspecting users red-handed, exposing their
vulnerability to misinformation.
The initiative relies on a dual approach: first, it uses cleverly crafted "fake news" to hook viewers, exploiting the very mechanisms it aims to critique. Then, it pivots, leveraging the credibility of major media outlets to reveal the ruse and drive home the importance of reliable journalism. Creativity meets authority: a winning formula for media impact.
Eighteen fake news stories were crafted, styled after gossip sites, and designed to be irresistibly clickbait. These stories, featuring well-known personalities (who agreed to participate), played off regional Quebec news. Hosted on a fake site, and shared via fake Facebook and Instagram accounts, they easily bypassed the blocking policy, proving its editorial absurdity while piquing users' curiosity.
Clicking led users to alasource.info, where they were greeted by either Pierre Bruneau or Noémi Mercier, two highly respected news anchors. In a short video, they expressed surprise at the users' credulity before delivering a passionate plea about the urgency of the situation and the importance of supporting local media.
The highly convincing fake news stories enabled both celebrities and ordinary users to share them, driving organic growth. Meanwhile, this social media creativity became the springboard for traditional media to discuss the campaign's ingenuity and address the news blocking issue.
In a coordinated effort, participating media outlets simultaneously published a manifesto on the societal impact of news blocking, while spokesperson Brian Myles gave high-profile interviews. PR agency National orchestrated involvement from over twenty socio-economic entities, including political offices and chambers of commerce. The campaign's strength lay in its sophisticated orchestration: a diverse alliance of stakeholders working in harmony to create both intrigue and credibility.
The campaign stood out creatively by ingeniously using META's platforms to expose their own flaws. This approach not only reached the target audience but starkly revealed the dubious quality of remaining social media content after the news block. Nearly twenty meticulously crafted headlines, reflecting regional news and celebrities, were designed for maximum authenticity and broad appeal. Every element, from the fake site to clickbait-style banners, was strategically planned
to ensure credibility.
A dozen renowned local personalities volunteered their identities, sharing fake news pro bono to boost the initiative's viral potential. This organic distribution strategy, coupled with high-quality execution, lent crucial credibility, driving public engagement and media coverage.
The campaign's innovative approach achieved two crucial goals: it engaged a new audience typically disconnected from local media, while simultaneously rekindling debate within traditional media circles. This combination triggered a broad awareness movement about META's news blocking.
By seamlessly integrating into users' daily social media experiences, the campaign offered a firsthand lesson in the consequences of media banning. It conveyed a powerful message: misinformation affects everyone, and reliable information is best sourced directly.
The campaign skyrocketed immediately upon launch, thanks to a coordinated effort from all participants for simultaneous promotion. Within days, it caught the attention of major media outlets beyond the initial participants, including La Presse, several shows on 98.5 FM and Radio-Canada, and even secured a segment on the popular TV show "Tout le monde en parle" on December 10, 2023. This important media coverage significantly amplified the campaign's reach, all achieved
through organic growth.
The initiative garnered over 110,000 page views in under a month. With an average visit duration of 1 minute and 18 seconds, it's clear that visitors were actively engaging with the featured video content. Perhaps most impressively, nearly 20% of traffic came from direct URL entries, underscoring the campaign's ability to generate genuine curiosity and word-of-mouth buzz.
Credits
AGENCY: URBANIAWITH THE PARTICIPATION OF Noémi Mercier and Pierre Bruneau
Harold Beaulieu, Creative Director, Media Creativity, URBANIA
Charles Noyon, Web Marketing Director, URBANIA
Alexandre Lamarche, Digital Project Manager, URBANIA
Cynthia Arseneault, Interactive Designer, URBANIA
Kevin Bouchard, Motion Designer, URBANIA
Nicolas Roy B., Web Developer, URBANIA
Stéphanie Loubert, Director and Editor, URBANIA
Zoé Witala, Researcher, URBANIA
Gabrielle Julien, Audiovisual Production Manager, URBANIA
Corentin Guérin, Digital Project Manager, URBANIA
Alice Desrochers-Ferland, Production Coordinator, URBANIA
Clément Turpin, Post-Production Coordinator, URBANIA
Flavie Jourdain, Communications Manager, URBANIA
Sophie Desbiens, Marketing and Communication Director, URBANIA
Marc-Antoine Jacques, Creation Director, URBANIA
Lyne Farley, Vice President, Media Creativity, URBANIA
Raphaëlle Huysmans, Executive Producer, URBANIA
Philippe Lamarre, Executive Producer, URBANIA
PR FIRM: NATIONAL