There was no escaping the spotlight for Target’s “Project Anonymous” campaign at the 2019 ICE Awards in Halifax on Thursday, as the campaign for Crime Stoppers captured best of show accolades.
It was one of 33 awards (including nine golds) for the St. John’s agency, which also won for its “A Tangled Tale” and “IcebergFinder.com” efforts for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, as well as the “Welcome to Mount Pearl” rap video for City of Mount Pearl (which was also the recipient of the Fearless Client Award) and “The Power of Words” for Perchance Theatre.
But it was Target’s work for Crime Stoppers that received the most attention. The campaign helped make the crime reporting service “synonymous with anonymous” through a two-phased wild poster campaign.
The first phase featured a series of wild postings featuring matter-of-fact descriptions of a crime from an anonymous source (eg: “The time was 9:07 pm. He staggered out of the pub wearing a black coat. He got behind the wheel.”).
The ads were placed in areas where these types of crimes might occur, with an ad describing an assault placed near a laneway, for example, and an ad describing a car theft placed near a parking lot.
Coasters featuring crime descriptions such as a man spiking a woman’s drink were placed in bars, while ads were also sent via AirDrop. In addition, digital ads featuring the description of the crime left only the word “anonymous” when clicked on.
The ads garnered attention from media outlets across the province, while most of the posters had been torn down within 48 hours and a series of spoofs appeared both online and offline. In the campaign’s second phase, wild posters appeared with the message “Don’t get angry at the poster. Get angry at the crime. Submit a tip anonymously.”
A total of 87 awards were handed out during a literally dark and stormy night in Halifax, with Arrivals + Departures scooping up 16 awards, including three golds for its work with the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
Wunder captured 10 awards, including gold in the Best Use of Social Media category for its “DonAir” work with the Halifax donair chain King of Donair.
To promote the chain’s arrival in Alberta, the agency used a series of fake seat sale ads for a fictitious airline called DonAir, inviting Albertans to experience Halifax for just $7.
Other winners included:
Ray Agency with 11 awards for its work with Quidi Vidi Brewing and Victim Services—Government of Newfoundland and Labrador;- Design District Co with five awards, including three for its work with Fortune Doughnuts (including two gold and a craft); and
- Perfect Day also won a gold for its “Tell 911” public service campaign for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“The jury and I were really impressed with the work this year, although a little surprised by the low number of entries in radio, which has always attracted a lot of global attention to Atlantic Canada,” said jury chair Steve Mykolyn. “But the other categories were loaded with excellent examples of world-class creativity, innovation and craft. I expect to see many of these campaigns in other shows.”
Click here for a complete list and gallery of the 2019 ICE Award winners.
