2024 Winner

Interligne, a non-profit offering distress intervention services to LGBTQ2+ individuals, faced closure of its nighttime crisis line due to funding issues. Despite appeals to the Quebec government, financial support was denied and its service was deemed nonessential. With rising violence and intolerance toward LGBTQ2+ people and with two weeks before the helpline was set to close,

Interligne launched the “Wake-Up Calls” campaign to demonstrate the service’s importance by forwarding distress calls first to the Quebec Premier’s voicemail and then, when that line went out of service, to his personal line. The campaign, by Rethink, used print, radio and social media, garnering media attention and public support – as well as $98,000 in donations. Three days before the call line was set to close, and under pressure from the public, media and opposition, the Premier announced $930,000 in funding over three years, tripling the initial request and granting Interligne essential-service status.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Creative Director: Mathieu Lacombe, David Roger
Art Director: Emma Laberge
Copywriter: Laurent Tremblay
Print Production: Claire Khan
Producer: Katia Dupuy
Studio Artist: Cadu Rocha
Account Services: Mégane Landry
Client Supervisor: Alex Lefebvre
IP Phone Service Consultant: Inovatel - Denis Michaud
PR & Media Agency: tök communications - Rosalie Pelletier, Éric Santerre
Client: Pascal Vaillancourt, Marie-Claude Gendron, Gabriel Corbisiero