The 2023 ICE Awards took place in Nova Scotia for the first time since the pandemic on Thursday, with Wunder winning Best of Show for “Doorbell,” created for United Way Halifax.

The two also shared a pair of golds in the Public Service category, while Wunder took home additional awards for its billboard work “200 Square Feet” with Domus Realty, and its “Micro-Influencer” campaign for Good Robot Brewing Co.

The wins represent big strides for the Atlantic agency. When Wunder attended their first ICE awards in 2017, in their first year of business, they took the opportunity to establish partnerships with key agencies. They designed and packaged their own shelves so that they could deliver them to the agencies that won big the day after the awards show—to give them additional shelving for their new trophies.

“We took home four gold, two silver and Best of Show last night and, we couldn’t be happier—it’s been a long time coming,” said Wunder’s creative director, Stephen Flynn. “And to win with a piece of work that we poured our heart and soul into with United Way Halifax, a client that makes a huge positive impact on our community, it makes it even more special.”

“Doorbell,” a holiday campaign to draw attention to the city’s growing homeless population and incite donations, was filmed entirely through a doorbell camera. The 60-second spot (below) was taken from about 40 hours of footage depicting typical family Christmas activities—like building a snowman and carrying home a Christmas tree—with the final scene capturing a homeless person pushing their possessions in a shopping cart.

Target also enjoyed a good night, scooping up 33 of the night’s 94 awards for its work with brands including Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism and the St. John’s Board of Trade.

NL Tourism and Target shared 11 gold and 15 silver awards for their tourism campaigns, including “MindSet“, a collection of “mindfulness cards” showcasing the province’s laid-back attitude and natural beauty; the TV spot “Leave No Song Unsung,” and “Come Home 2022” an incentive for former Newfoundland residents to visit home and enjoy the offerings of their own ‘backyard.’

Ray won 17 awards, including five golds for its work on the “Wash Wildly” campaign for plant-based skincare company East Coast Glow. The campaign included digital, out-of-home, and an anchor video featuring scenes of individuals enjoying the outdoors and, uniquely, a woman bathing in a flower-filled bathtub in a field.

Other repeat winners included:

• m5 agency with 11 awards for its work with Tourism Nova Scotia; The Dollar A Day Foundation; Discover Halifax, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association
• The Northern Creative Marketing and Production agency, with seven awards for its work with Nova Scotia Fortune Oysters; the Halifax Mooseheads junior hockey club; hockey apparel brand Shinny & Co; and the Atlantic International Film Festival 
• Trampoline Branding marketing agency with six awards, including five silvers for its work on the Discover Halifax 2023 out-of-province campaign