The Quebec ad industry is folding five different awards programs into one big show called Idéa that will recognize the best work in advertising, design, digital, media, results, strategy and craft.
The new show will be run by A2C (Association des Agences de Communication Créative, Quebec’s counterpart to the Institute of Communication Agencies) in partnership with SDGQ (Société des designers graphiques du Québec) and the CDMQ (Conseil des directeurs médias du Quebec), with support from Infopresse.
“Today’s industry is an incredibly diverse one. Many projects require expertise from different fields that are working closer together than ever before,” said Louis Duchesne, chair of the A2C’s board of directors and president, Quebec and East, at Cossette. “This new award show takes into account this new reality
The five awards brands that will disappear are: Boomerang (digital), Grafika (design), Créa (advertising), Strat (results and strategy) and Prix Média (media).
According to an FAQ on the new awards show site: “This decision follows extensive consultations with agencies, design studios, customers, media and industry partners. In addition, the profits will be reinvested in the communication industry to make it more creative, dynamic and inspired.”
Jean-Sébastien Monty, president of the communications collective Humanise—which includes bleublancrouge—believes the change is good for the market. “I would say that there were already too many shows, categories and sub-categories,” he said. “It’s a great way to celebrate all forms of creativity happening in Quebec. I think it’s a nice sign that our community is evolving with the times and that it wants to take charge of its own future, together, as one.”
The call for entries will go out in December and A2C is using the OneShow’s awards platform. Winners will be announced over two nights in the spring—one night for media winners and the other for the rest of the disciplines.
“We’re proud to support this initiative that will highlight the best work in Québec, including the fantastic work by our very own graphic designers,” said Benoit Giguère, president of the SDGQ and vice-president, creative and content at Brandbourg. “As an industry, we need to come together, celebrate local talent, and raise awareness about our expertise among the business community in order to inspire everyone”
“In an industry that is undergoing a profound transformation, the changes made to the award show are significant and will allow every discipline in communications to celebrate the incredible talent that is available in Quebec,” added Valérie Beauchesne, head of the CDMQ media award show committee and vice-president of media at Havas. “We are proud to support and be part of this initiative.”
