2023 Winner

When using software, Asian Canadians are used to seeing their names underlined in red, signifying a typo. To combat name discrimination and normalize Asian identity, Elimin8Hate, the advocacy arm of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, launched the “ReclaimYourName.dic” campaign.

With Citizen Relations, it created a custom dictionary in the form of a free Microsoft Word plug-in. The dictionary contained more than 8,000 unique monikers from over a dozen countries, sourced from online search, census data and cultural associations. The dictionary could be downloaded for free as a .dic file from namereclaim.ca and users could add their own names to expand the databank.

The campaign included a film showing the powerful, real-time reactions of several Asian Canadians who saw their name without the red underline after downloading the dictionary, and a number of paid and earned tactics. The campaign led to 208 placements, generating more than 91 million impressions. Interviews with Elimin8Hate spokespeople appeared across regional and national media outlets. Across social media, prominent Asian Canadians such as Star Trek actor Hiro Kanagawa, Top Chef Canada host Mijune Pak and TikTok star Tiana Shern expressed their support.

Credits

Client: Elimin8Hate
Founder: Barbara Lee
Executive Director: Audrey Wong

Agency: Citizen Relations
CCO: Josh Budd
CD, Art Director: Mike Lo Nam
CD, Writer: Abeer Verma
SVP, Strategy: Lindsay Page
Director, Strategic Communications: Rebecca Myers
Vice President: Cher Lee
Account Director: Kristen Schaffrath
Sr. Account Manager: Jonathan Kim
Sr. Account Executive: Christina Demare, Daniel Ma
Account Executive: Katie Haller, Chantal Grainger
Production Designer: Antony Micheal Melven
Managing Partner: Brooke Leland, Jungle Media
Media Buying Assistant: Evann Kremer, Jungle Media
Web Developer: Oliver Morrissey
Director/Photographer: Nick Wong
Editor: Andy Ferreira
Sound: Boombox