2024 Winner

Since many people tend to associate concussions with sports, the YWCA Metro Vancouver partnered with hockey legend Trevor Linden to create a PSA that would highlight the prevalence and long-term effects of concussions caused by intimate partner violence (IPV). For every NHL concussion, 7,000 Canadian women
experience IPV.

In the Rethink-created “Concussion Story,” Linden – who has seen firsthand through 19 NHL seasons how impactful a concussion can be – recounts a story of the terrible impact of a blow to the head: not seeing it coming, being confused and the ongoing debilitating headaches and mood swings that come with the injury. A misdirect reveals that the story isn’t his; it actually belongs to a woman who experienced violence from her partner. With PR, the campaign garnered over 71 million earned impressions and extensive media coverage. The work also caught the attention of British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor, leading to future funding commitments for research and initiatives to address gender-based violence.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Leia Rogers, Morgan Tierney, Hans Thiessen
Group Creative Director: Sean O’Connor
Art Director, Creative Director: Pamela Rounis
Art Director: Abrie Miller
Writer: Emily Betteridge
Strategist: Anna Shkuratoff
Producers: Kerry Bhangu, Gurbir Grewal, Sarah Lee, Scott Russell,
Jill McLeod, Damian Mccallion
Director of Post Production: Megan O’Connor
Post Production House: R+D Productions
Audio: Wave Productions
Editor: Nick Greaves
Colour: Adam Kemp
Director: Lindsay Siu
DOP: Dan Barham
Head of PR: Meredith Montgomery
PR Manager: Chenda McKissick
Group Account Director: Kennedy Crawford
Account Supervisor: Nicole Kerrigan
Account Manager: Karin Torn

Client:
Amy Juschka, Director, Advocacy and Communications
Marina Arnaud, Marketing Communications Manager
Saphiya Zerrouk, Marketing Communications Specialist
Fulvia Carregan, Marketing Communications Specialist