While a priority at 天美棋牌 over the past few years has been amplifying Canadian advertising on a national and international stage, here and there we鈥檝e missed the opportunity to talk about some pretty cool things. Case in point, despite it being the Super Bowl of French-Canadian advertising, we鈥檝e never covered the Bye Bye awards.
That鈥檚 changing this year, and every year going forward. Not only are we going to be creating compilations of the work, but each January we鈥檒l be asking the region鈥檚 top creatives what they thought of the show, and what stood out to them.
Of course, some of our readers might not be aware of the competition. And for this reason, it seems only right that we give them an introduction. Here is what you need to know!
Since 1968, Ici Radio-Canada T茅l茅 has played a special annual broadcast on New Year鈥檚 Eve, featuring sketches summarising the past year鈥檚 events, followed by a countdown to the new year. It鈥檚 an integral part of holiday celebrations for French-speaking households, and something that people look forward to every year.
However, in 2018, Radio-Canada launched the , which challenged advertisers to deliver commercials that would impress viewers during the programme鈥檚 breaks. Giving the audience a chance to vote on the top three ads, this format has proven enticing, with the creative establishing itself as an equally noteworthy part of the content.
So, before we tune into our TVs this year and see what鈥檚 on the docket, it felt appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane, and see which ads of the past left their mark. Check out the full list below:
(Is this article missing an ad that you think should be included? Message us with a link, credits and a description of why you like the piece!)
Bell - Bye Bye
Melissa Charland, executive creative director at Publicis Montreal says: 鈥淚 find this message very charming. Simple yet effective, it invites people to hang up at the end of the year. The production is delightful, and its artistic direction beautifully illustrates the evolution of Quebec over time.鈥
Metro - Metro mord dans la nouvelle ann茅e
Manuel Ferrarini, creative director at Tam-Tam\TBWA Montreal says, 鈥淎 nice exercise of including all the play-on-words with food and cooking that the creatives were able to find and fit in, this could have become tiresome, but I enjoy discovering each one! Plus, you add an ex-Habs coach, Jean Perron, who is famous for HIS wordplay, and you have all the elements for a memorable Bye Bye ad.鈥
Mondou - New Year's Gathering
Antoine Becotte, executive creative director at TAXI Montreal says, 鈥淭his pet store ad from the pandemic era was brilliant! The elbow bump instead of a kiss at the end perfectly captured that awkward moment we all experienced."
鈥淲e were still in the spirit of covid-19 at the end of 2019,鈥 adds Manuel. 鈥淪o, instead of shaking hands, we would bump elbows and avoid germs everywhere. But who can resist the love of a dog ? This spot made you go 鈥榚uwwww鈥 and 鈥榓h ah ah ah鈥. And the execution is on point 鈥 the casting, direction, framing, etc.鈥
Les Producteurs laitiers du Canada - Wassup
Genevi猫ve Langlois, partner and executive creative director at LG2 says, 鈥淏ecause of the audience and the presence of advertisers, even before the Radio-Canada contest, Bye Bye was referred to as our Super Bowl. This ad was the first to win first place. It followed other holiday ads for Dairy Farmers where an adult discourse, including a popular song related to the drink, was put into the mouths of children, but to talk about milk. The stars aligned, leading to this spin on Budweiser's famous message. It's light, entertaining, generous with entertainment, and, above all, impactful... everything a Bye Bye message should be.鈥
"The 'Wassup' remake for milk is surprisingly effective. It takes a classic beer ad's energy and uses it to promote a healthy drink, appealing to both a new generation and those nostalgic for the original,鈥 adds Antoine. 鈥淎nd even though the Budweiser ad was American, its impact was felt even in Quebec, making this remake even more resonant."
鈥淚 love this take on an old, all-time favorite (at least of my generation),鈥 observes Manuel. 鈥淚n particular, I enjoy how the kids are casually 鈥榡ust watching an end-of-year TV show鈥, the Bye Bye awards. Plus, the fact that this is a shot-by-shot remake of the Budweiser work is just oh so cute.鈥
Le porc du Qu茅bec - C鈥檈st le temps du porc
Philippe Brassard, associate creative director at Cossette says, 鈥淲hen I was asked to talk about the most memorable ads from Bye Bye history, I closed my eyes and immediately thought of one. This spot has all the ingredients for a successful Bye Bye commercial. It cleverly taps into a strong cultural reference in Quebec: comedian Michel Barrette and his humorous holiday song, 鈥業t鈥檚 Turkey Time鈥 (鈥楥鈥檈st le temps d鈥檜ne dinde鈥). The ad builds on a pure idea 鈥 like Michel, many of us are a bit tired of eating turkey during the holidays. And the execution has a striking simplicity, especially the hilariously unexpected moment when Michel smashes the radio as he hears his own song playing on it. Now that they鈥檙e one of our clients, this ad sets the bar high, compelling us to deliver nothing short of excellence.鈥
BelairDirect - L鈥檌ncident des F锚tes
Jean-Fran莽ois DaSylva-Larue, creative director at Publicis Montreal says, 鈥淚 love the insight of the completely irrational drama created by spilling red wine on a tablecloth. And, how this situation serves to communicate BelairDirect鈥檚 鈥榝orgiving policy鈥 messaging, as well as provide a totally natural New Year鈥檚 Eve context that feels perfectly suited for the Bye Bye. So good.鈥
Sylvain Dufresne, VP, head of creative at FCB Montreal adds, 鈥淓veryone knows, the biggest tragedy of holiday dinners remains, and will always be, the spilled wine glasses on the family tablecloth,鈥 finishes Sylvain. 鈥淏ut, when you鈥檙e insured with a company that really protects you, not just any accident will change the focus of what really needs to be addressed. A delicious cast, an insight that everyone knows, and a family that everyone can relate to.鈥
鈥淣ew Year鈥檚 Eve with family is sometimes a recipe for disaster,鈥 notes Manuel. 鈥淎nything can become drama 鈥 even the smallest accident. Here, I like the complete chaos and non-stop action. And how in the end, when it comes to a big accident, the insurance company鈥檚 message comes through. Really, the execution brings it all together.鈥
鈥淎s a creative, one of my favourite moments is watching the Bye Bye ads without knowing what the other advertiser-agency teams have come up with 鈥 what story they created to touch the heart, and what links to popular culture they used,鈥 concludes Genevi猫ve. 鈥淭he Belair ad with its references instantly charmed me. The little product to remove red wine, the tablecloth for special occasions, perfect casting. How delightful it must have been to realise this message. I was jealous鈥 I still am.鈥
Les Producteurs laitiers du Canada - Gilet
Simon B茅dard, VP, strategy at Publicis Montreal says: 鈥淟e lait reinvent themselves Bye Bye after Bye Bye, always communicating about the product in a culturally relevant way. This time, they took aim at the advertising world with a playful nod to Gillette. It's clever and fun, and completely aligned with the spirit of the show.鈥
Melissa adds, 鈥淭his parody of a Gillette ad still makes me laugh after all these years.鈥
Mondou - Relaxez-vous
Sylvain says, 鈥淎t the end of 2022, an incredible crisis was taking place at Passport Canada, and hundreds of thousands of Canadians and Quebecers were in endless waiting to receive their passport. Hundreds of people would even miss their departures for vacations due to this. So, with everyone looking for the reason behind this delay, Mondou created a message that finally gave us the answer. Funny, sarcastic and wonderfully executed.鈥
鈥淭his is a hilarious spot that communicates Mondou鈥檚 deep-rooted love of animals in the most entertaining and memorable way possible,鈥 continues Jean-Fran莽ois. 鈥淣ot least of which is the fact that it co-opted the Passport Canada news story, which effectively turns the ad into a mini-sketch for the Bye Bye itself. Brilliant.鈥
Genevi猫ve adds, 鈥淚'm proud of all the Bye Bye messages that have been produced for Mondou. Sticking to the news has always paid off handsomely for the brand. But 鈥楻elaxez-vous鈥, with its sketch-like style, really blurred the line between the main show and the ad. For me, it's the perfect example of an advertiser who knows how to fit into its context. What's more, it did some good by finding homes for all the shelter kittens in the message.
鈥淭his was the first time we saw an ad that looked like a sketch from the Bye Bye show,鈥 states Melissa. 鈥淭he message referenced a current event from 2022: the Canadian Passport office struggling to deliver passports on time due to high post-pandemic demand. As they say, it's better to laugh than to cry!鈥
Bausch Health - Mycose des ongles
Simon says, 鈥淭his one's a bit unconventional. While I'm not particularly fond of the ad itself, I like the strategic decision to generate awareness about a health condition on a big stage, when the typical pharma approach would be banner ads or lower funnel content. For many, this ad was off-putting in a moment where we are supposed to laugh. But, five years later, people continue to joke about it. I鈥檓 sure that most Quebecers now understand what mycosis is because of this Bye Bye ad. I would be curious to compare awareness levels with other provinces.鈥
Air Transat - 2019 Ad
Manuel says, 鈥淥ften, the discourse during the holidays is, 鈥榳e have no idea what day it is!鈥. What鈥檚 great about this ad is that it absolutely nails that feeling and insight, and it creates a bit of envy at the same time. I also love the serene tone of the film. It creates great contrast with the loudness of the Bye Bye show鈥 and the family members screaming in the kitchen.鈥