FCB Canada

Brand: Canadian Down Syndrome Society

Year: 2023

This is the story of how a partnership, between the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) and FCB, became many partnerships. About how these partnerships have led to life-altering solutions for people with Down syndrome.

By partnering with Google, the United Nations, GoogleAI, Fitbit, and LinkedIn, we have used the power and reach of global brands to tackle a new challenge that people with Down syndrome face each and every year. We answered questions for expectant parents, we presented multiple times at the UN, we changed Google’s voice algorithm to better serve the 78 million people around the world living with atypical speech, we led a global research study to prove the link between fitness and cognition, and our latest campaign made the Down syndrome community visible to employers. Our campaigns exceeded the scope of traditional advertising initiatives and solved problems not usually tackled by agencies.

Over the course of our partnership, CDSS has become a leader in advocacy not only in Canada, but across North America and indeed globally, and in 2023, was recognised with The One Show’s prestigious Penta Pencil. Presented to a brand and agency who have created stellar work together for five or more years, the Penta Pencil recognizes that award-winning work is only possible as a result of collaboration between creatives with great ideas and clients who trust them. Not only was it the first time in the award’s eight-year history that the Pencil was awarded to a client and agency working in the non-profit sector, but it was a first Penta Pencil win for both Canada and the FCB network.