2025 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

After being acquired by Just Eat Takeaway, Skip found itself trapped in a standardized global messaging framework, losing the quirky, distinctly Canadian identity that once differentiated it. Generic global marketing campaigns led to a prolonged decline in new user growth and diminished brand recall among Canadians.

The competitive landscape had also intensified significantly, with Uber Eats and DoorDash capturing market share by aggressively highlighting restaurant variety and menu choices — further pushing Skip
into the background.

The challenge was clear but formidable: revitalize Skip’s brand presence by distinctly showcasing its uniqueness — not what Canadians could order, but the hassles they could skip. Specifically, the agency aimed to significantly boost new user acquisition and dramatically improve top-of-mind awareness across Canada.

Canadians are quietly overwhelmed by daily microstressors and crave relief from everyday hassles.

“Skip to the Good Part” — positioning Skip uniquely as the brand that helps Canadians effortlessly bypass life’s daily annoyances.

The Plan was to translate their insight into tangible results. They launched a robust, integrated campaign that leveraged multiple channels, each carefully chosen to amplify the emotional truth behind their insight.

At the heart of the campaign was the hero film with Jon Hamm, a humorous, cinematic spot that dramatized common irritations — awkward dates, culinary misadventures, and daily inconveniences — with Hamm coolly delivering the memorable punchline: “Shoulda Skipped it.” The film’s relatable humor created instant resonance, prompting shorter, high-frequency adaptations for TV and digital media.

To build immediate visibility, the agency executed the most extensive outdoor campaign in Skip’s history, with strategically positioned billboards, bus shelters, and transit placements featuring sharp, catchy lines like “DIWHY?” and “Don’t run errands, tap them,” speaking directly to consumers during moments of irritation and urgency. The message was further amplified through a radio campaign, where humorous sketches illustrated everyday frustrations such as disastrous cooking attempts and frustrating grocery runs, each ending with Skip’s clear and compelling promise: “Shoulda Skipped it.”

Social media activations transformed “Skip to the Good Part” from a catchy tagline into daily, actionable benefits, with collaborations from brands like Starbucks and McDonald’s offering Canadians immediate incentives to skip life’s minor inconveniences — effectively translating brand awareness into consumer action. Finally, they ensured a unified brand experience, consistently communicating Skip’s core message across all touchpoints, from courier bags and app notifications to customer service interactions and corporate materials, all reinforcing the promise of alleviating life’s everyday annoyances.

The food delivery category had become increasingly functional, with every brand emphasizing variety, speed, and the sheer number of things you could order. Skip needed to carve out a more meaningful space. Strategic planning identified that the real opportunity wasn’t just in focusing on what people want to get — it was in understanding what they want to skip.

While competitors talked about menus, they wanted to reframe the conversation around moments of stress, burnout, and everyday BS — things like cleaning dishes, standing in line, or figuring out meals after a long day. This emotional shift allowed Skip to own a far more resonant territory: being the brand that helps people skip the annoying parts of life.

The campaign was extraordinarily successful, exceeding all key performance indicators by significant margins. Skip saw a remarkable 35% increase in new user acquisition, surpassing initial expectations and demonstrating powerful resonance with their targeted emotional insight. Top-of-mind awareness soared by 22%, nearly three times the original target, confirming that the campaign deeply resonated with Canadians.

The hero film achieved unprecedented engagement, accumulating over 31 million views on YouTube — nearly triple the original objective. Additional positive impacts further underscored the campaign’s effectiveness, with app engagement increasing by 7% in sessions during the campaign and order volumes rising 16% more in downtown Toronto compared to the broader Greater Toronto Area, highlighting targeted success
in urban centers.

By strategically positioning Skip as the unique antidote to daily microstressors, they revitalized and redefined the brand’s role in Canadians’ daily lives. Beyond immediate results, strategic planning re-established Skip’s distinctive voice and emotional relevance, influencing future marketing initiatives and fundamentally shifting how the brand communicates with consumers.

Through this campaign, Skip reclaimed and solidified its position as Canadians’ go-to platform for effortlessly bypassing life's small annoyances, setting a strong foundation for sustained competitive advantage and future growth in an intensely competitive market.

Credits

Agency: Courage Inc
Dhaval Bhatt: Founder + CCO
Joel Holtby: Founder + CCO
Tom Kenny: Partner + CSO
Niki Sahni: Partner + President
Rami Dudin: Executive Strategy Director
Sammy Lo: Art Director
Emma Lorenzi: Writer
Saloni Wadehra: Managing Director
Emily Broad: Account Supervisor
Jordan McConnell: Account Executive
Clair Galea: Executive Producer + Head of Production
Adriana Laborde: Senior Producer
Client: Skip
Rachel MacAdam: Vice President, Marketing
Phil Sylver: Head of Creative, Brand & Content
Bethany Skelton: Associate Director, Brand Promotions & Sponsorships
Melanie Fatouros-Richardson: Vice President, Communications and Government Relations
Ada So: Project Manager
Production: O Positive/Someplace Nice
David Shane - Director
Marc Grill/Estelle Weir – Executive Producer
Ralph Laucella - Executive Producer
Ken Licata - Executive Producer
Devon Clark - Head of Production
Tanya Stephens - Line Producer
Polly Morgan - Director of Photography
Lauren Reese - Production Manager
Cristie Ayers - Production Coordinator
Rick Lange- 1st Assistant Director
Christopher Culliton - Gaffer
Manny Duran - Key Grip
Tessa Posnansky - Production Designer
Brent Gaffan - Locations Manager
Tai Weinman - Script Supervisor
Hanna Collins: Sound Mixer
Melissa DesRosiers: Wardrobe Stylist
Ashley Scott: Key Makeup

??NYC Casting: Beth Melsky Casting
Beth Melsky - Casting Director

LA Casting: RMB Casting
Ryan Bernstein – Casting Director

EDITORIAL: Arcade Edit
Executive Producer: Crissy DeSimone
Producer: Wendy Umanzor
Editor: Geoff Hounsel
Assistant Editor: Fernando Raigoza

ALTER EGO
Colour/VFX/Online Credits:
Colourist: Eric Whipp
Colour Assistant: Ben Otten
Lead VFX Artist: Darren Achim
VFX Artist: Saba Zahir
VFX Assistant: Veri Whitaker
Motion Designer: Geneva Hines
Senior Producer: Andrew Tavares
Executive Producer: Hilda Pereira

SOUND: EGGPLANT
Music Director: Adam Damelin, Jamie Pennock
Composer: Nick Grimshaw