The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) in partnership with Bell Media last week announced the launch of the 2024 Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity in Advertising (IDEA) competition, calling for brands and agencies to enter for the chance to win $1 million worth of media inventory on Bell Media platforms.
In this year’s competition, entries showcasing and celebrating diversity through advertising must shine a light on the lived realities of gender equity in Canada, a press release says.
“What does Gender Equity really mean? I am excited to see the depth of ideas that truly explore the intersectionality and experiences of what this means to people and their lived realities,” Scott Knox, president and CEO of the ICA, said in the release. “I will be looking for bigger ideas than ‘a guy looking after children’ or ‘a woman driving a truck.’ Canadian creators can do better than that, so let’s see it.”
“The competition this year presents a remarkable platform for marketers to demonstrate their trailblazing strategies for genuinely reaching, engaging with, and establishing enduring relationships with Canada’s diverse communities,” Perry MacDonald, vice president of advertising sales and partnerships at Bell Media, said in a statement. “We look forward to reviewing and amplifying the stories that will elevate Gender Equity in Canada.”
Creators of the winning entry will have access to all of Bell Media’s platforms, including TV, radio, out-of-home and digital, to run their $1 million campaign in 2024 and 2025, the release says. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Sept. 9.
Now in its fourth year, the IDEA competition builds on the broader IDEA initiative, launched in 2017 by the ICA, to promote inclusivity, diversity and equity in advertising. As an early supporter of the program and active partner, Bell Media participated in the ICA’s IDEA Summit at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018 with the theme “How Diversity of Thought Leads to Powerful Storytelling.”
Founded in 1905, the ICA is a not-for-profit association for Canadian advertising, marketing, media and public relations agencies.
