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Wunderkind Receives Second 2013 CASSIES Award at CASSIES Gala for Canadian Advertising Campaign That Has Changed the Future for Girls
[January 28, 2013]

Wunderkind Receives Second 2013 CASSIES Award at CASSIES Gala for Canadian Advertising Campaign That Has Changed the Future for Girls


(Canada Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Receives second Gold Award for Because I Am A Girl, this time for Sustained Success, at annual gala TORONTO, Jan. 28, 2013 /CNW/ - Wunderkind Inc., a Toronto-based "global advertising and design guild" known for innovative new methodologies and solutions in marketing, is pleased to acknowledge receipt of its second Gold CASSIES Award for the Because I Am A Girl campaign, administered by the Institute for Canadian Advertising (ICA).



Celebrating outstanding business results achieved through advertising, the CASSIES presented Wunderkind Inc. with the Gold Award for Sustained Success across all industries, on January 28, 2013 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto.

Developed for international development agency Plan Canada, Wunderkind created the winning Because I Am A Girl campaign from the ground up 3 years ago. In its first year, the campaign raised over $3 million in incremental revenue, and gained substantial attention in the marketplace. In its second year, Because I Am A Girl raised another $7 million in new revenue, and attracted a Facebook community of over 50,000 strong. BIAAG also drew in significant corporate partnerships, including substantial cash and in-kind gifts from Sears Canada, Smart Water, Birks and the Pemberton group. Celebrity ambassadors are a who's who of male and female celebrities from journalism, sports, media and entertainment. In its third year, web traffic has exceeded 400,000 visitors. The majority of new audiences are between the ages of 14 and 40, a vast change from the over-55 audiences that traditionally supported Plan through child sponsorship.


Plan Canada has also succeeded in persuading the United Nations to designate October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child, due to the volume of petitions signed through the public advertising campaign.  The inaugural day in October 2012 attracted attention around the world, with monuments being illuminated pink for the evening, from the CN Tower and Niagara Falls, to the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Empire State Building, and the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

The campaign has to date (December 2012) raised over $22 million in funds in Canada, and Wunderkind has won two Golds at the CASSIES Awards for best business results in Canada delivered through advertising, in both Not-for-Profit and Sustained Success. The campaign has been widely hailed as a positive and refreshing departure from traditional humanitarian messaging.

The power of the campaign's creative strategies has been admired in a number of countries, and elements of Wunderkind's Canadian creative work have been adapted across the global Plan (formerly Foster Parents Plan) network.

"Wunderkind is thrilled to be honoured a second time for its initiatives on behalf of Plan Canada," said Wahn Yoon, President of Wunderkind Inc.

"This is a validation and reconfirmation of how this campaign hit the bullseye and was an emanation point for a worldwide shift in showcasing the power of girls to eliminate global poverty. Not only are we quite proud that the calibre of the Because I Am A Girl campaign to date has been recognized by the Canadian marketing industry, we're delighted to have produced this campaign to benefit a world changing organization, Plan Canada, and that this campaign has created ripples in the global community." "The Because I Am A Girl campaign is one of the advertising projects that I am proudest to have been a part of," said Syd Kessler, Founding Partner and Creative Director of Wunderkind Inc. "Being a veteran advertising producer in Canada, I have worked on many campaigns. But Plan Canada is part of the backbone of children's aid globally and does such important work. I am glad that our team at Wunderkind and sister companies have played some small role in Plan's Canadian and international efforts." Recognizing business accomplishments since 1993, CASSIES are highly respected and valued in the business world and the only Canadian advertising awards competition of its kind. To learn more, visit http://cassies.ca/).

About Because I Am A Girl Because I Am A Girl is Plan's global campaign to claim a brighter, safer future for girls. Girls in the poorest regions of the world are among the most disadvantaged people on the planet. They face unique barriers to survival and development simply because they are girls. But if girls are healthy, educated and empowered, they will pull themselves out of poverty, and bring their children, communities and nations along with them. Investing in girls is key to eliminating poverty and creating a better world.

Visit http://www.becauseiamagirl.ca About Plan Plan is a global movement for change, mobilizing millions of people around the world to support social justice for children in developing countries. Founded in 1937, Plan is now one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan has only one agenda: to improve the lives of children.

Visit http://plancanada.ca About Wunderkind Inc.

Wunderkind is a global advertising & design guild, a new model for delivering exceptional quality with greater efficiency and agility. It is an open-source creative agency with a vast network of experienced and gifted specialists in every area of advertising and marketing. Wunderkind was created by Syd Kessler, Wahn Yoon and Jacob Kessler in 2008, who bring over 60 years of combined experience with major brands and campaigns to the table. Wunderkind has since established a reputation for outstanding strategy and creative work that delivers remarkable business results. Wunderkind has a strong affinity and aptitude for organizations that are at a "watershed moment" - where a dramatic repositioning, brand/product launch or technological shift is required. Hence our tagline:  "Play Big".

In conjunction with associated company Scientific Intelligence Inc., the principals bring a powerful new perspective to marketing issues and opportunities.

Visit http://www.wunderkindworld.com Visit http://www.scientificintelligence.com

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