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Sustainability, Ecology & Climate Winners

Still image from the "Paper or Plastic?" video. Shows a toy truck sliding down a ramp towards a small toy animal.

Judges' Pick

Paper or Plastic? Video by Office of Sarah in Edmonton, Canada (Client: Canopy Planet)

"This project not only connects the dots but does so in a way that is engaging and educational. The clever use of waste components further communicates the effort to do better for our environment. The project exemplifies the innovative communication approaches needed to engage core concepts with audiences, taking complex issues and making them palatable. Left with a sense of urgency, I’d like to see this project morph into solutions." 

—Valerie Elliott CGD, FGDC, CERT PR 

“I really appreciate the concept, handmade quality and passion which went into this project.” 

—Christina Rüegg Grässli

To support Canopy Planet’s #Pack4Good campaign, a 60-second shareable story helps raise awareness of the implications of single-use packaging and the false dichotomy between “paper or plastic”. A physical Rube Goldberg machine helps illustrate how paper and plastic manufacturing processes are connected, and the cascading domino effect that negatively impacts the planet. The machine was built in-studio using recycled, reused and discarded items, with a process that required many sketch explorations, storyboarding sessions and back and forth edits to consider the flow of the narrative. This project won a 2021 Gold Davey Award (for Green & Environmentally Friendly Online Film & Video) and a Gold MarCom Award for Social Media Video.

Bus decorated with printed vinyls that read "Ontario's first carbon-negative bus"

Judges' Pick

Carbon-Negative Bus Campaign by Context Creative in Toronto, Canada (Client: Enbridge Gas Inc.)

"The project is unique in the sense that the work is a mobile urban intervention, raising awareness while also demonstrating a successful case example." 

—Pinar Guvenc

An eye-catching bus wrap and an integrated marketing campaign help raise awareness about Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) and the potential it offers for municipalities to fight climate change and reduce emissions Designed with a bright, colourful palette, the bus wrap stands out against the concrete backgrounds of busy streetscapes, inviting the public to learn more. The artwork includes engaging illustrations—banana peels, apple cores and recognizable green bins—to reinforce the message the bus runs on fuel produced from organic waste. Custom photography of the bus was leveraged across the marketing campaign including Google search and display ads, social media and sponsored content in trade publications.

Grass Carp Awareness video storyboard

Grass Carp Awareness Video by Design de Plume in Sudbury, Canada (Client: Invasive Species Centre)

An animated video was created for the Invasive Species Centre on how to protect our Great Lakes from invasive grass carps. The video was shared across YouTube, social media and Bell Fibe TV. Realistic scientific images of Asian carp species were created and shared across an array of materials to properly identify the invasive fish. These images were included in the video along with instructions on “how to spot a grass carp” and clear steps on what to do next and how to report it. Using illustrations and animations, the video features relevant topics in quick sequence to visually emphasize the ecological and socio-economic impact of invasive carps.

bus stop promotional poster that reads "From Death springs Life".

Natural Burial Association Brand Launch by Gravity Inc. in Toronto, Canada 

There are hundreds of natural burial grounds in the US and UK yet Ontario only has a handful of small natural burial grounds attached to conventional cemeteries. Not many people know about them. Everyone in Ontario deserves the opportunity for an eco-friendly burial option, one which leaves a legacy of nature for future generations. We created a warm and contemporary brand with bold and edgy marketing material to encourage dialogue and action. The Natural Burial Association is now attracting attention and support from well-known Canadians, citizens and policy makers across the country. The professional branding, continuous flow of creative assets and thought provoking social media and promotional videos are all helping to grow this new organization at the pace it needs to curb the damage being done to the environment through conventional burials.

Stills from Wildlife Falling videos shown in a mobile social media app

Wildlife Falling Videos by On The Chase! Motion Design in Toronto, Canada (Client: WWF Canada)

To support a new report chronicling 50 years of wildlife decline in Canada, WWF needed an educational video that would drive action among viewers. Four short :20 sec animations with attention-grabbing openings represent the idea that wildlife statistics are literally “dropping off”. The vertical video is produced specifically for a seamless fit into social media feeds, posing as two different widescreen videos breaking ‘the fourth wall’ on Instagram and Facebook. As animals start to tumble from one video frame over the UI and down into the other video frame, it grabs the viewer’s attention. After the initial trick is revealed, the video settles into a more traditional approach with beautiful wildlife photography and a call to action. Bold colours and vector silhouettes help differentiate the look from other WWF campaigns and materials.

bus stop poster with the word "truth" in big, bold red letters in the top centre, and "Bold Climate Action Needed!" in the bottom right

Bold Climate Action Needed Campaign by Haangar 18 Design Continuum in Vancouver, Canada (Client: City of Vancouver)

This campaign was developed as a conversation-starter to motivate citizens to reflect on behavior that contributes to climate change and take positive steps to influence civic and corporate decisions to enact change. Multiple touch points were used to bring forward the “truth” about climate change, including photography, social media, transit advertising, web content and an educational board game for community group facilitation in addition to branded apparel for volunteers and City staff. The campaign was successful in motivating dialogue through social engagement and protest marches in front of City Hall.

Unusually Good apple cider packaging over a red background

Unusually Good Brand & Packaging by Crew Food & Beverage Marketing Partners in Vancouver, Canada

A new name, brand and package design was required to help Fruit Snaps evolve their business to meet growing demand. As a crowded commodity category where price drives purchase decisions, the brand story needed to stand out from other mass juice producers and appeal to the target audience of moms looking to buy food grown closer to home. The new name also needed to work for future products and connect the juice brand with the existing Apple Chips school product. The look and feel disrupts the “usual” products in the juice aisle, using bold, playful, perfectly imperfect apple characters. The unusual wordmark uses a custom typeface to embody an organic flow and whimsical personality. Vibrant, punchy colours demand attention and elicit a sense of taste and connection.

Two (2) Becoming Refugees posters

Becoming Refugees on Our Homeland Series by Ellena Ekarahendy in Jakarta Greater Area, Indonesia (Client: JATAM [Indonesia Mining Advocacy Network])

Combining bulk data and important narrative elements, this series was initiated as a campaign tool for JATAM to show how elections in Indonesia have been corrupt platforms that do nothing but preserve harms, especially for people who live outside the capital city whose struggles have been overlooked. Designed to be used by a grassroots organization commonly facing physical threats, the foldable crisis sheet was designed to be easy for campaigners to carry in their pockets. Four double-side  sheets can work as a set or be used individually, each providing summaries of crises in different areas to help build understanding of common struggles.

One can of Gallooping Goose Sustainable Coffee. Illustrated mountain shapes can be seen in the background

Sustainable Coffee Packaging by Backcountry Branding in Kingston, Canada (Client: Galloping Goose Coffee Roasters)

Galloping Goose started their micro-roastery with a vision to champion farmers and reduce the impact on the environment without compromising taste. They are committed to better pay for farmers, incentivizing less water during processing, and using fully recyclable aluminum cans for packaging. They needed help to build their brand, create their identity, and design their packaging. The modular packaging design utilizes a consistent base label plus a roast label to divide coffees into three categories, single origin, blends, and espresso, each with a unique illustration. Single origin coffees are named and colour-coded based on the place of origin. The back of the can highlights how the sourcing, processing and packaging benefit farmers and the environment.

Goodside App advertising in a store window exterior

Goodside App & Climate Education Platform by RBC Ventures in Toronto, Canada (Client: Goodside [RBC Ventures])

The platform is designed to demystify an individual’s impact on the environment and empower users to take climate action through small, achievable changes to their everyday lives. The ‘M.O.R.E.’ ecosystem is built around four pillars: Measure, Offset, Reduce and Educate (yourself and others). App users can see a breakdown of their estimated carbon footprint based on their spending, to “lift the hood” on where their emissions are coming from. The app offers a marketplace of sustainable brands in addition to the option to purchase carbon offsets and access to climate-related news and content. Users can track how their carbon footprint changes over time—illustrating the real-world influence their choices have on the environment, and enabling large societal shifts through their collective action.