Who: The Atkinson Foundation, with Target for strategy, creative, production and media.
What: A punchy new awareness campaign for the “Good Fight Prize for Decent Work,” theFoundation itself, and the larger cause of good jobs for all.
When & Where: The campaign runs through the end of the year in digital and social, but the heartof the campaign was a series of full-page nomination ads in the Toronto Star.
Why: For more than 80 years the Atkinson Foundation—founded by journalist Joseph Atkinson,who was editor and then owner of the Star—has fought for a range of social causes and justice,systemic change and the support of grassroots efforts.
With regards to better working conditions, the Foundation advocates for, for example, betteremployment standards and insurance, as well as enhanced job quality for care workers..
The campaign both called for nominations for this year’s Good Fight Prize, while also raisingawareness of the cause itself.
How: The print ads spotlighted the workers, advocates, and organizers leading the fight forfairness on the job, while also raising broader issues about work itself.
The ads used stark portraits of individuals staring unflinchingly into the camera—clearly ready fora fight—while bold headlines used some light wordplay to make a heavy point: “The Devil hasenough advocates,” and “Wanted: Rebels with causes.”
Below the headline, long-form copy explained the importance of the fight for good work, theintroduction of the Good Fight Prize, and a CTA to visit the new GoodFightPrize.ca website. (Seefull ad below.)
“In a world gone wrong, we all need to make more advertising that does more than just sell stuff,”said Target founder Noel O’Dea. “For Atkinson’s campaign for decent work, we wanted to avoidthe declarative approach of presenting a laundry list of facts and arguments.”
A manifesto video spot takes viewers inside a school, where young kids answer the age-oldquestion: What do you want to be when you grow up?
But rather than the typical answers one would expect—doctor, lawyer, hockey player, orYouTuber (it is 2025 after all)—the kids list some of the many painful realities for a huge number ofworking Canadians today.
“When I grow up, I want to work three jobs just to get by,” says one. “I want long hours with noovertime,” says another, followed by “And no time off when I’m sick.”
“We cast real schoolchildren to hold up a mirror to society, one that reflects the hard truths aboutwork in today’s world,” said O’Dea. “Advertising has long used children’s voices to reveal biggertruths… We took that storytelling approach in a new and unexpected direction – one that speaksto the goodness and humanity in all of us. Because that’s what the fight for decent work is allabout.”
Canada collected more honours than any other country from the 2025 Epica Awards on Tuesday,with Target collecting the nation’s lone Gold for “Hello Humpback,” a campaign for Newfoundlandand Labrador Tourism.
The St. John’s-based agency topped the podium in the Transport and Tourism category for a workthat better connects visitors to the whales they’ve spotted by accessing an AI-powered database .Target also took home Bronze for “Hello Humpback” in the Creative Use of AI category, its onlyother nomination.
Leo Toronto led Canadian agencies in total awards won with 18 prizes (six Silver, 12 Bronze) from20 nominations, followed by Publicis Toronto’s haul of 10 (five Silver, four Bronze) from 12nominations. Zulu Alpha Kilo rounded out Canada’s top three for trophies collected with sixawards won (two Silver, four Bronze).
Altogether, Canadian shops earned one Gold, 17 Silver and 33 Bronze at the awards judged by ajury of journalists from more than 60 countries worldwide. Canadian agencies also led the wayamong countries with 69 shortlisted entries from 138 total submissions.
Others agencies to receive prizes on Tuesday included: FCB Canada (two Silver, one Bronze),VML Canada (one Silver, two Bronze), LG2 (two Bronze), Salt XC (two Bronze), Cinconflex (oneSilver), Blackjet (one Bronze), Innocean (one bronze), The Local Collective (one Bronze), McCannCanada (one Bronze), TBWA\Canada (one Bronze).
By Strategy Staff
11 December 2025
Well, 2025 is coming to a close. During this season of reflection, strategy and Media in Canada’s staff took time to look back at the campaigns from the past year that were inspiring, funnY, emotional and hit all the right notes. While there were many to choose from, these are the works we feel are worthy of a little extra recognition before we welcome 2026.
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism has been an industry darling since its award-winning campaign “The Edge” was launched in 2006. Over the last two decades, the cinematic works produced alongside agency partner Target have captured the spirit of the place while promoting experiential tourism before it was a buzzword.
In its May 2025 campaign, “Hello Humpback,” NL Tourism and Target take experiential tourism to a new level (or depth).
With the help of Al, the campaign capitalized on the fact that 43% of visitors to the province take part in whale watching. As part of the campaign, tourists were encouraged to upload photos of every whale they spotted to a website that then produces a personalized biography of the animal’s life using existing marine-sighting data.
The website uses automated image recognition to identify whales based on markings unique to each animal that are then cross referenced with international research organization Happywhale’s database of more than 70,000 humpbacks. Target’s custom-trained generative Al then takes all of the known information about a given whale to create its life story.
Travellers can sign up to get future updates on “their” whale with the knowledge that they are contributing to continuing conservation efforts. Every new photo adds to a dataset used by marine biologists to monitor whale-population trends and migratory patterns.
This campaign accomplishes a bunch of different things at once. It promotes an appreciation of nature. It helps people engage with their phones in a more meaningful way. It contributes to conservation. It makes decent use of Al. It was launched during a period when Canadians were especially hungry for Canadian experiences. And most importantly of all – it’s just one more thing that makes Newfoundland and Labrador awesome.
– Jonathan Russell, digital editor, strategy, Media in Canada
With experiences as a best-selling author, brand manager and university professor, Noel O’Dea is a figure whose reputation precedes him. However, it’s his role as founder and former CEO of Newfoundland-based creative agency Target which most people probably know him for. Having first gained attention in the Canadian industry for launching a full-service shop not in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, but at the edge of the continent, he’s only built on that as the company, over 40 years later, has become the longest-running indie in Canada.
Known for a distaste of ‘best practices’, Noel’s philosophy revolves around utilising creativity as a business tool, and instilling strong degrees of emotion, local cultural influences and humanity into the work. An approach which has served Target well, earning it recognition from multiple major award shows – Cannes, London International Awards and The One Show, to name a few – he’s been a pivotal player in the agency’s ability to create, position and rejuvenate the brands it works with, across multiple sectors. A track record which recently saw the creative heavyweight inducted into the ICE Awards’ inaugural Hall of Fame, it’s safe to say that his career journey has been a remarkable one, and something worth learning from.
With that in mind, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Noel for a chat.
Noel> Induction is such an odd word, don’t you think? When I got the call saying I was to be inducted, I hesitated. “Will it be dangerous?” I said out loud. Thankfully, I can now report that the induction itself had nothing to do with magnetic fields (so far as I can tell).
Then, I remembered Groucho Marx’s caution, “I’d never belong to a club that would have me as a member.” I’m glad to report that Groucho was misinformed. Because there was a beautiful and supportive sense of community among the 250 advertising and creative people around that Hall of Fame room.
You know, we all work in such a passionate and competitive industry. Day in and day out, we bear our fragile creative souls for all the world to see, and judge. It felt nice to be there all together, having fun.
Noel> You’d be better off asking the judges.
With that said, I can say a couple of things without feeling too self-conscious.
First, our work ethic mirrors Bill Murray’s advice, “Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you’re donating blood.”
Second, paraphrasing Joni Mitchell, I’ve looked at life from three sides now: marketing researcher and brand manager, to advertising and marketing professor, to founder and leader of Target. I guess that I’ve always been creatively curious, always digging and pushing to see life from as many different angles I could imagine.
Noel> Along the way, I learned to take the road less travelled. And it’s been Target’s mantra since day one.
I learned from my father not to blindly follow the herd, and to thine own self be true. (OK, I admit, that last one was from ‘Hamlet’, not from my dad).
I learned that Adam Smith, the father of the ‘rational economic man’, was mistaken. People are not rational – people are rationalisers. We are all ruled by emotion.
I learned that advertising should speak to the heart, and that the heart will persuade the mind. That’s why we try to bake humanity and emotion into everything Target creates. (Of course, it helps that we are inspired by this wildly creative and unpretentious culture that is Newfoundland).
I learned that no one ever bored anyone into buying anything.
And, I learned that creating advertising should never be like having a root canal.
Noel> ‘Best practices’ is an oxymoron. We avoid it like the plague, because ‘best practice’ is all about creating uniformity and predictability. That may work for accountants, assembly lines, and sausage factories, but ‘best practices’ are the very antithesis of creativity and surprise. It produces undifferentiated, cookie-cutter ads. It results in a boring, endless sea of sameness.
A product without differentiation is not a brand; it’s nothing but a commodity – one without competitive advantage, customer liking, or loyalty, competing in a spiralling race to the bottom.
When creating advertising, there’s only one ‘best practice’: take the road never taken. Because that road leads to memorable and rewarding advertising, powerful brand differentiation, and enduring competitive advantage.
Noel> Why Newfoundland? Would you believe me if I told you that, just yesterday, I was walking down Water Street – the oldest street in North America – when I saw God walking towards me? I said, “Jesus, what are you at?” and over his shoulder, he replied, “I’m working from home today.”
Foolishness aside, Newfoundland is our secret ingredient. It’s the most creative place in the world, simply bursting with creativity, writers, storytellers, musicians, artists, and a terrible beauty you just cannot ignore. And that inspires everything we do.
We see things differently here, through a cultural lens and sense of humanity unlike that in any other place on the planet. This unconventional perspective shapes our strategic and creative thinking. It changes how we think about and solve a client’s problem.
Was it T.S. Eliot who said, “To have travelled the world and returned to where we started only to know it for the first time”? Perhaps that helps explain why, when I returned home to Newfoundland, I launched Target in what some have called ‘the most unlikely place in the world to open a strategic and creative agency’, with aspirations as big as the world. Far from New York, but curiously close to London. Lots of people thought this was nuts. Fortunately, some people understood the differentiation metaphor.
Noel> Why is water wet?
We’re independent because that means we have no one to answer to but ourselves and our clients (and, of course, our moms). Instead of having to focus on meeting the holding company’s quarterly financial targets, we can be laser-focused on one thing: creating unexpected brand and advertising solutions for our clients.
We’ve always believed that if we took care of the work, the money would take care of itself. And I’ve never been that interested in how much money we make; I’m much more interested in what we make.
After 45 years of staying independent because we love creative and what we do, that increasingly uncommon philosophy appears to be another of our secret ingredients.
Noel> I see you’ve done your homework.
Yes, I spent 10 years as a tenured professor doing research and teaching marketing and advertising in undergrad and graduate programmes. I found this really helped me understand more deeply the art and the science of advertising. Perhaps less obvious to me at the time was how much I learned about understanding students (and all humans) in that academic laboratory that is university: the psychology and sociology of human aspirations, attitudes, learning, and behaviour.
Like advertising, teaching is about lighting a fire. Education is not about cramming information into students’ brains and then asking them to regurgitate it in exams. I loved learning how to engage students, and how to communicate complex information effectively. I loved stimulating curiosity. I loved laying out ‘crumbs’ so students would be stimulated to find discoveries on their own, rather than, like in a lot of advertising, just regurgitating the client brief.
Noel> I’m proud of all our work, because from day one, we were absolutely committed to making sure every single ad that went out the door, no matter how small, was the very best we could make it. No shortcuts.
But I will admit that our ‘Find Yourself’ brand repositioning and destination marketing campaign for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism has been a passion project for all of us at Target. We set out to change brand perceptions, including how we see ourselves and our culture out here on the most easterly edge of North America. And in doing so, we turned every tourism advertising ‘best practice’ on its head. No laundry list of things to do, places to go, or sights to see all jammed into a TV spot or print ad.
Twenty years later, the campaign is still firmly grounded in our original brand positioning and brand personality foundation. The creative is still building on our original storytelling blueprint, chapter by chapter. And ‘Find Yourself’ has become the most successful and most-awarded tourism campaign in North America.
Noel> Celebrations? Two things come to mind. First, “I’ve got nothin’ but affection for all those who’ve sailed with me”, meaning that, in the spirit of Bob Dylan’s lyric, everyone at Target will be celebrating together.
And second, we’ll be guided by our philosophy – that anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Stay tuned.
By Laurie Wilson
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism and Target Marketing and Communications made it two Best of Shows in a row at Thursday night’s ICE Awards, the annual celebration of Atlantic Canada’s top creative and design work.
The 2025 Best of Show recognized two works by Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism and Target: The AI-powered “Hello Humpback” whale-watching-and-tracking campaign and the tariff response “Silver Linings,” which built on the destination marketing organization’s larger “The Reason” work for 2025. The agency based in St. John’s, N.L., collected 31 honours on Thursday at the Light House Arts Centre in Halifax, along with its 11th Best of Show all-time.
Target also won top honours last year for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism’s “Our Song – VRBO response” Super Bowl campaign.
Other big winners on the evening included Wunder, which won Reactive Advertising and triple Public Service Gold (OOH, TV and Integrated Campaign) for its work on the “FU** the CBC” campaign for Friends of Canadian Media.
Halifax-based Wunder also won Film Golds for TV single (30 seconds or less) and TV Campaign (30 seconds or less) for its “Still Not Retired” video for Assante Wealth Management.
Elsewhere, Arrivals + Departures won Gold in OOH for the “It’s All There At the Square” campaign for Scotia Square and M5 won Gold in Radio/Digital Audio for its “Prepare for the Extra Unexpected” campaign with CAA Atlantic.
Thursday night also marked the launch of the ICE Awards Hall of Fame, with Noel O’Dea and Paul LeBlanc enshrined as the inaugural inductees.
O’Dea has created a legacy that includes the repositioning of the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism brand, as well as decades of work with national and regional clients including the likes of Air Canada and Irving Oil.
And LeBlanc is a key cog in changing the creative landscape on the East Coast as the founder and former CEO of Extreme Group, now Arrivals + Departures, which has offices in Halifax and Toronto. LeBlanc is also a founder of the ICE Awards.
By Christopher Lombardo
Target has renewed its long-term partnership with Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.
The agency based in St. John’s, N.L., won the contract, which is renewable for up to five years, after a public procurement process. It has held the partnership with N.L Tourism since 2005, according to a news release.
Target president Catherine Kelly said the shop is proud of the work it has developed over the past 20 years to help build one of the most successful DMOs in the country.
In January, Target and N.L. Tourism appealed to visitors looking for a more human connection with the launch of “The Reason” campaign.
And last year, the agency garnered attention by responding to a condescending Super Bowl spot by Expedia-owned vacation rental brand Vrbo, which portrayed the picturesque province in a less-than-favourable light.
by David Brown October 09 2025
St. John’s agency Target has retained the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism business after a competitive review with four other agencies. The win signals a continuation of one of the most successful Canadian tourism marketing partnerships ever. Target has held the account since 2005, and this marks the fourth time it has defended the business—which is worth about $10 million a year, according to the agency.
For nearly two decades, the “Find Yourself” platform created by Target has been fundamentally grounded in romantic scenes and scenery from across one of Canada’s most picturesque regions. But the agency has consistently found new ways to infuse the creative with the province’s trademark humour and warmth to keep the campaign fresh year after year.
Last year, for example, Target won raves for “Our Song”—an ad that went from idea to online in less than 24 hours in response to a controversial Super Bowl spot that seemed to ridicule the province (see below).
NL Tourism Minister Fred Hutton recently told the CBC that the tourism industry provides Newfoundland and Labrador with $1.4 billion in revenue each year, and visitors in 2025 were up 4% from 2024. “I can’t overstate how important the tourism industry is to Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy,” he said.
Retaining the account is a particular point of pride for the 45-year-old agency founded by Noel O’Dea, who was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends in 2023.
“We’re very proud of the highly impactful work we’ve done for Newfoundland & Labrador since 2005,” said Target president Catherine Kelly in a release. “We’ve helped build one of the most successful tourism brands in the country, sharing Newfoundland & Labrador’s unique story with the world and inspiring travellers to come here, stay longer, and spend more.”
Target defended the account against St. John’s neighbours Ray Agency, Fredericton-based Porter O’Brien, Montreal agency Agence Hopscotch Canada Ltée, and Halifax-based WeUsThem Inc. The contract is renewable for up to five years.
March 28, 2025
These last few months of upheaval and uncertainty, there is one thing we Canadians can agree upon: “Elbows UP!” When shopping at your local grocery store, have you noticed that everyone around you is doing exactly what you are doing, looking at all labels for the Canadian-made products and produce? This is not limited to the grocery store; we are dedicated to boosting our Canadian economy in every way that we can, which includes travel. So many of us have revised our perspective on travel, choosing Canada as our destination to keep our valuable dollars within our own country. Target Marketing seized the perfect opportunity to remind us of the beauty that Newfoundland and Labrador have to offer with their latest campaign they created for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.
Across the country, Canadians are showing their pride with every dollar they spend. The question of what it really means to buy Canadian is sparking debates and influencing decisions. It has even inspired apps designed to determine which brands are the “most Canadian.”
And this renewed sense of national pride goes beyond the shelves. Canadians are rethinking and cancelling trips to the U.S.—creating an opportunity for the tourism industry to redirect them to domestic destinations. Target, the long-time AOR for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, recognized this opportunity and identified a point of differentiation for the province.
For Canadians looking to keep their money in Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador offers authentic experiences rooted in place, full of charming independent businesses, and local, handmade products.
On a trip here it’s not uncommon to sit in a cozy little café for tea and toast with partridgeberry jam made from berries picked down the street. And when it’s brought to your table by the person whose name is on the shingle out front, you won’t need an app to tell you you’re buying Canadian.
TJ Arch, creative director at Target
Developed by Target, ‘Silver Linings’ takes a strategic approach, engaging Newfoundland and Labrador’s independent tourism operators to highlight an important truth: in this province, buying Canadian isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s almost unavoidable. With 80% of tourism-related businesses being small, independently owned operations, a trip here isn’t just a vacation, it’s a direct investment in the country.
Newfoundland and Labrador is a place full of resilient people, not unaccustomed to making the best of a bad situation. If this unfortunate moment in geopolitics is what makes us all think harder about supporting local businesses and rallies us together, at least some good can come out of it.
TJ Arch, creative director at Target
The campaign includes 60, 30, and 15-second digital spots and will be supported by social media and a full-page spread in The Globe & Mail.
Credits:
Agency Target
Creative Director TJ Arch
Art Director Alyssa Campeau
Copywriters TJ Arch, Melissa Basset
President Catherine Kelly
Account Director Ernie Brake
Senior Account Manager Allison Daley
Strategic Planner Noel O’Dea
Agency Producer Matt Tucker
Director of Communications and Media Strategy Jef Combdon
Digital Media Planner Ryan Locke
Editor Max Parr
Sound Engineer Matt Thomson
Voice Talent Colin Furlong
Ahead of International Women’s Day, the president of Target Marketing & Communications tells LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt about the women who inspire her most, and how she seeks to embody their best qualities in her day-to-day life.
Undoubtedly, Catherine Kelly is an inspirational figure. Not only is she the president of Canada’s longest-running independent agency, Target Marketing & Communications (an impressive feat in its own right), but she’s worked her way up there as a woman in what’s often a far too male-led industry. She’s also a champion of good work, agency culture, and strong client relationships. But even more than that, she’s courageous – someone who isn’t afraid to speak honestly, be herself, and stand up for what’s right in the moments that it’s needed.
Of course, a person doesn’t just get to a place of being able to do this overnight. Sure, Catherine carries a core sense of care and determination, but she also believes that in many ways, the person she is today – both in and out of the workplace – is one that’s been sculpted by the actions of many influential women before her. From friends and family to celebrity figureheads, each has instilled invaluable lessons within her – virtues which she tries to embody every day, and, crucially, pay forward to those around her.
So, ahead of International Women’s Day, Catherine sat down with LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt to pay homage to these figures, reflect on all that they’ve offered her, and share a bit about how she tries to incorporate these values into her own life.
