2026 Winner
SilverIntegrated Campaign
BronzeOut-of-Home Campaign
BronzeHealth and Wellness Education and Advocacy
Kids Help Phone
"Defining Help"
McCann
"Defining Help"
McCann
Despite evolving into a 24/7 e-mental health service, Kids Help Phone was still widely perceived as a crisis-only resource, limiting adult understanding and financial support.“Defining Help” set out to expand that perception by showing that support is needed for
everyday emotions, not just emergencies. The work replaced the word “help” in Kids Help Phone 1,028 times with real feelings expressed by youth, using language drawn from millions of anonymized conversations to make the breadth of need visible. This idea carried across OOH, print and digital placements, alongside a film anchored in scenes based on interactions between youth and the service. The campaign drove an 87% year-over-year increase in donations, along with a 4% lift in consideration to donate and a 9-point increase in trust among its target audience.
everyday emotions, not just emergencies. The work replaced the word “help” in Kids Help Phone 1,028 times with real feelings expressed by youth, using language drawn from millions of anonymized conversations to make the breadth of need visible. This idea carried across OOH, print and digital placements, alongside a film anchored in scenes based on interactions between youth and the service. The campaign drove an 87% year-over-year increase in donations, along with a 4% lift in consideration to donate and a 9-point increase in trust among its target audience.
Credits
HERO FILMClient: Kids Help Phone (KHP)
McCann Canada Jordan Doucette, Chief Creative Officer
AJ Jones, Chief Strategy Officer
Athina Afton Lalljee, Creative Director
Pedro Izzo, Creative Director, Design
Ethan MacDonald, Senior Copywriter
Tina Peng, Art Director
Emily MacLaurin-King, VP Group Account Director
Farida Shagara, Account Supervisor
Josh Hansen, Chief Creative Officer
Sabrina Lau, Senior Strategist
Jana Tuck, VP, Executive Producer
Genevieve Mallette, French Copywriter/Translator
Jon Dick, Music Research
Angela Fufeng, Cultural Advisor
Sauvage
Director: Ernest Desumbila
Producer: Eva Laffitte
Post Producer: Amanda Serradell & Yukio Montilla
VFX Artists: Arnau Espàrrech, Emanuel Espinoza, Genis Ferrer, Jordi Arques & Roger Oller 3D Generalists: Alejandro Gazquez, Albert Montero, Carlos Yau, Gerard Rodriguez, Ricard Castilla & Víctor Pérez
Compositing Artists: Adrià Draper, Aurelio Pozas, Daniel Lores, Diogo Santos, Guillem Maresma, Joan Palacios, Marc Costa & Silvia Torrella 2D & Motion Design: Arantxa Gil& Bartomeu Plomer
Creative Project Manager: Teseo Cuadreny
Alfredo Films
Holly Rowden: Partner / Executive Producer Alex Henry: Partner / Executive Producer
Line Producer: Nick Gervais
Cinematographer: Kris Belchevski
Production Designer: Daria Savic
Grayson Music
Music Director: Lowell Sostomi
Music Supervisor: Warren Bray
Sound Designer & Engineer: Eric Hulme
Exec Producer: Kelly McCluskey
Cover Composer: Andrew Austin Vocals: Mike Nelson, Erica Wilson, Kayla Diamond, Andrew Austin
Nimiopere
Julie Axell: Founder / Executive Producer
Raj Ramnauth: Founder / Editor Chris Chang: Editor
The Vanity
Katie Methot: Executive Producer
Andrew Exworth: Senior Colourist
Craft Canada
James Bolter, Senior Video Editor
Nathan Baldassero, Editor
Kaia Kim, Executive Post Producer
Madeleine Lee, Proofreader
Epitaph Group (Media):
Scott Stewar, EVP, Managing Director
Jaclyn Berzins, Sr. Director, Integrated Planning
Nicole Merza, Senior Specialist, Integrated Planning
Myah Jackson, Senior Specialist, Integrated Planning