2026 Winner
GoldOnline
GoldCreative Use of Technology/Virtual Worlds
Concertation Montréal
"HTM-elles"
Rethink
"HTM-elles"
Rethink
Women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM in Quebec, driven in part by a
lack of visibility that limits interest and participation among young girls. “HTM-elles”
addressed this by turning a quirk of inclusive French writing into a digital activation that
made women in tech impossible to ignore. The work leveraged the fact that punctuation
used in inclusive writing is often misread by social platforms as broken URLs,
redirecting more than 30 of these “dead links” to a dedicated site showcasing female
leaders in fields like AI, cybersecurity and astronomy. Launched on the International
Day of Women and Girls in Science, the idea transformed everyday online language
into an entry point for discovery, supported by PR and ambassador networks. The
campaign generated over 7M organic impressions and more than 10,000 engagements
across professional platforms, while driving a fourfold increase in women volunteering
as mentors and tripling speaking opportunities for Concertation Montréal.
lack of visibility that limits interest and participation among young girls. “HTM-elles”
addressed this by turning a quirk of inclusive French writing into a digital activation that
made women in tech impossible to ignore. The work leveraged the fact that punctuation
used in inclusive writing is often misread by social platforms as broken URLs,
redirecting more than 30 of these “dead links” to a dedicated site showcasing female
leaders in fields like AI, cybersecurity and astronomy. Launched on the International
Day of Women and Girls in Science, the idea transformed everyday online language
into an entry point for discovery, supported by PR and ambassador networks. The
campaign generated over 7M organic impressions and more than 10,000 engagements
across professional platforms, while driving a fourfold increase in women volunteering
as mentors and tripling speaking opportunities for Concertation Montréal.
Credits
Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike DubrickChief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Xavier Blais
Creative Director : Geneviève Jannelle
Writer: Julie Day-Lebel, Eugénie Lalonde
Art Director: Léa-Laure Bergeron, Emma Laberge
Designer: Benjamin L’Écuyer
Motion Designer: Ignacio Florez, Jesse Shaw, Tyler Erdelac
Digital Producer: Kyle Hicks, Alex Fleming
Proofreader: Marie-Hélène Lessard
Broadcast Producer (in-house): Katia Dupuy
Lead Strategist: Pascal Routhier
Strategy Director: Clément Martin
Account Services: Mélanie Châteauneuf, Adriana Marquis-Duzink
Brand Narrative: Kristel Dupont, Christina Avril-Dieudonné
Client Supervisor: Kadidia Haïdara, Mathieu Latour, Élizabeth Tremblay, Ariane O’Connor