In a year unlike any other, the Advertising and Design Club of Canada suddenly found itself in an unforeseeable and precarious position. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the advertising industry and shuttered award shows, the funding the ADCC generates through its annual show – and relies on for all its operational costs – evaporated.

Ironically for an organization dedicated to craft, their challenge was all about the numbers and cold, hard cash. The ADCC needed to raise $75,000 to save itself and ensure its continuing existence for the Canadian creative community. And true to the industry, it had to be done on deadline: they had one month to raise the funds. If ever there was a case for inspired creativity and unexpected answers, this was it.

Like so many things affected by COVID-19, the ADCC’s change in circumstances was hard to comprehend. Virtually overnight, an organization founded in 1948 that has helped thousands of creatives – past and present – make their mark, was in dire straits. Its loss would be profound. Its archive is arguably the most important in Canada, and ADCC award shows are a proving ground for Canada’s creative talent. It’s the only organization in Canada dedicated to specifically helping creatives. It has helped start, shape and boost careers. Thousands have benefitted from this not-for-profit organization – even though many don’t realize it.

It wasn’t the annual ADCC Award Show that needed rescuing – they were saving an irreplaceable part of the creative industry in Canada. The more they thought about it, the more they realized the impact the ADCC has, and not just within the agency world. By nurturing, celebrating and elevating Canadian creativity, the organization has helped to shape the Canadian business landscape for decades.

In a moment when virtual gatherings have suddenly become the norm, a virtual fundraiser was born: A 24-hour webathon to save 72 years of creativity.

The ADCC All-Nighter was an unexpected solution perfectly suited to the moment. The idea was born from a phrase everyone in advertising understands: “pulling an all-nighter”. The effort had two key parts: an online fundraising action and a campaign that drove awareness of the event itself.

The campaign began with a design system developed for the event including a clock-like logo that rotated to mimic time passing from sunset to sunrise. Creative running in advance of the event highlighted the special place the ADCC has in the community, and on promoting the event itself.

In the lead up to the All-Nighter Webathon, social media was the primary vehicle to spread the word. And at precisely 7 p.m. on July 10th, the All-Nighter kicked off with a discussion of the greatest Canadian ads of all time. For the next 24 hours, the schedule was filled with debates, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories of brilliant campaigns.

In the final stretch, the webathon concluded with industry luminaries Alex Bogusky and Dave Droga taking on the state of the industry with Zulu Alpha Kilo’s very own Zak Mroueh.
On the fundraising front, prizes were solicited from across the industry, and included “How to Start an Agency” lessons with successful founders and portfolio reviews with in-demand creative directors.

After 70 years of the ADCC supporting creatives in Canada, the community returned the favour. Creating no less than 24 hours of content in a pandemic was no easy feat, but it was unquestionably a successful one. The webathon generated more than 3,000 unique views in 24 hours and the average watch time per segment was 29 minutes with over 1,400 total hours watched. In 24 hours, in the middle of a global crisis and extreme economic uncertainty, Canada’s creative community came together and raised every penny of the $75,0000 needed to save the most important institutions in Canada’s creative landscape.