2026 Winner

“Blizzard Banks” turned winter itself into media. To counter a typical 35% seasonal sales drop, DQ Canada transformed naturally occurring snowbanks into oversized Blizzard treats, complete with signature red spoons and Smarties toppings. Appearing overnight in high-snowfall markets like Ottawa, Winnipeg and Whistler, the installations blended seamlessly into everyday winter environments, from sidewalks to skating rinks. The work didn’t interrupt routines, it became part of them, inviting discovery, interaction and sharing. With no paid media, the campaign relied entirely on earned momentum, fueled by user-generated content, influencer amplification and national coverage. The result was both cultural and commercial impact: 5.1M earned impressions, 32 media stories and a 10% year-over-year increase in February Blizzard Treat sales, reversing the category’s seasonal decline.

Credits

Vinicius Dalvi, Chief Creative Officer
Victor Yves, Head of Art
Josh Dornan, Senior Art Director
Claire Mills, Senior Copywriter
Larissa Visentin, Art Director
Jackson Rothwell, Copywriter
Serene Gaspar, EVP, Managing Director
Bobby Malhotra, EVP, Managing Director
Mary Chamber, Chief Strategy Officer
Shawna Hayman, SVP, Brand Lead
Silvia Parkinson, Group Account Director
Haleigh Magill, Account Director
Rachel Senay, Account Supervisor
Chris Whyte, Group Strategy Director
Rylee Strachan, VP Digital Strategy
Abby Guthrie, Digital Strategy Director
Eliza Pratter, Jr. Digital Strategist
Chris Desjardins, SVP, Sponsorship & Events
Sabeeca Ali, Director, Brand Experience
Ryan Balter, Account Executive
Chris Taylor , Program Director
Benjamin Jones, Associate Technical Director
Myah Wills, Designer
Mike Charal, Team Lead, Motion Design
Elliot Berkis, Designer
Sydney Wills, Production Designer
Yuriy Leheta, Production Designer
Marley Garren, Junior Motion Designer
Terry Theofilactidis, VP Commercial Content
Reid Marshall, Director
Alex Chan, Photographer
Rebecca Burtnik, Post Producer
Ingrid Theiner, Editor
Angeli Pineda, Editor
Adam Kemp, Colourist
LePub MTL, Audio Mixing
Ginger Sherwell, Senior Account Director, Media Profile
Alyssa Bomben Tomczak, Senior Consultant, Media Profile
Halli Gallo, Consultant, Media Profile
Gemma Mastroianni, Influencer Marketing and Content Strategist, Media Profile
Donna Smith, VP, Media Director, DentsuX
Amali Senarath Yapa, Director, DentsuX
Claudia Rodriguez Proano, Account Director, DentsuX
Herleen Bansal, Sr. Media Planner, DentsuX
Vinod Talreja, Associate Partner Manager, DentsuX
Stephanie Estanislao, Coordinator, Buying, DentsuX
Priyanka Lokre, Digital Planner, DentsuX