2026 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Teens believed carrying a gun increased their safety, while research showed it made them 4.5 times more likely to be shot.

The non-profit and public-service space is crowded with shocking videos, statistics and fear-based messaging. Teens have learned to swipe past. Messages from police and institutions are often dismissed as propaganda, especially by youth who don’t see themselves reflected.

Force the issue into public conversation in a city where gun violence was not openly discussed.
Drive deep engagement with youth, not just awareness.

Change beliefs and attitudes about carrying guns among 13-17-year-olds in Quebec City – from “a gun protects me” to “a gun puts me at greater risk.”

For teens in a “safe” city, statistics don’t feel real – but a hole in a hoodie they’d actually wear does.

Teens are more influenced by peer stories and concrete evidence than by abstract statistics or directives from authority figures.

Thrift shopping has become a core youth ritual in Quebec , where teens spend unhurried time browsing, trying on identities as much as clothes.

Because Quebec City is perceived as safe, traditional “gun violence” creative codes (sirens, crime scenes, sensational headlines) would either feel irrelevant or be dismissed as imported drama.

The breakthrough came from reframing the problem: instead of “how do they get teens to pay attention to gun statistics?”, the question became “how do they make the consequences of carrying a gun as tangible as the clothes on their back?”

Turn real bullet-riddled clothing into a youth thrift experience that proves carrying a gun doesn’t protect you… it perforates your life.

Instead of adding another PSA or film to an oversaturated cause space, the SPVQ penetrated youth culture. The agency transformed police evidence into the most powerful possible medium: clothing teens already covet in thrift stores.

The message travelled through raw, peer-driven testimonies rather than institutional voice. The idea was designed to be channel-agnostic, able to live in-store, in schools, on social platforms and in news coverage as a distinctive, ownable prevention platform.

The core experience : “Bullet Holes” thrift takeover.

They took over a downtown Quebec City thrift store, in which 30 authentic, bullet-riddled garments collected by the police were slipped into racks. With no heavy signage, only custom tags signalled that something was different, creating shock through individual discovery.

Each tag told the story behind the garment, thanks to QR codes that led to short video testimonials where anonymous young people described how carrying a gun had changed their lives for the worse.

Fifteen local high schools were then visited by kiosks that displayed the garments in common areas, while police officers and teachers led to guided discussions about weapons, peer pressure and perceived protection.

The kiosk also travelled at major mall Galeries de la Capitale, extending the conversation to families and the broader community.

Across channels, all assets were built from the same central idea : bullet-riddled clothing as proof that guns increase risk, ensuring consistency and instant recognition.

Strategic planning enabled a peer-driven initiative that transformed isolated touchpoints into a cohesive prevention ecosystem by anchoring the brief in peer influence to shift youth beliefs through real testimonies rather than top-down PSAs. Connection planning linked every touchpoint to a continuous, authentic narrative to amplify organic engagement, while behavior change theory drove a modular design that allowed the initiative to live on as an ongoing educational tool rather than a one-off effort.

The campaign delivered impact across in-person engagement, digital reach, earned media and behaviour change, directly supporting its objectives.

Nearly 7,000 young people directly confronted the “Bullet Holes” garments and stories. On social and audio platforms, the campaign generated over 2 million impressions . The campaign site recorded 7,495 page views (with actual engagement likely far higher since 78% of visitors refused cookies) and 29% direct traffic and 19% organic search show strong memorability and talkability for the initiative

In a crowded non-profit space, “Bullet Holes” broke through with earned coverage across 5 radio interviews, 4 TV segments, and major outlets like Le Soleil, Journal de Québec, and Radio-Canada. This yielded over $75,000 in earned media value and a gross reach of 630,000+ adults 18+, extending the conversation to parents, educators, and the broader community.

Early SPVQ indicators show fewer illegal firearms seized and fewer minors arrested since launch, suggesting a shift in behaviour

The garments are now an educational tool in 43% of Quebec City high schools, and, perhaps most importantly, gun violence has become an important subject matter in a city that long saw itself as “too safe” for this conversation.

A digital ecosystem on Snapchat, TikTok, META and Spotify brought awareness to the matter where teens scroll, listen and share.

A campaign hub driving deeper engagement..

By grounding the strategy in youth culture, local context and behavioural insight, “Bullet Holes” did more than raise awareness: it made the risk of carrying a gun tangible, unforgettable and discussable, and in doing so, took a real step toward saving young lives in North America’s safest city.

Credits

[Individual Credits - Agency - LG2]
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Luc Du Sault
COPYWRITING: Félix-Antoine Belleville
ART DIRECTION: Megan Plamondon
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: Sophie-Annick Vallée
STRATEGIC PLANNING: Christine Larouche
CLIENT SERVICES: Isabelle Miville, Laurie Slater
PROJECT MANAGEMENT, PRODUCTION: Julie Pichette
AGENCY PRODUCTION: Noémie Beaudet-Centomo
MOTION DESIGN: Daniel Martinez-Mendoza
EDITING: Daniel Martinez-Mendoza
GRAPHIC PRODUCTION: Sylvain Grégoire
CAMERA: Alex Nolet

[Individual Credits - Agency - LG2]
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICERS: Josh Stein, Nicolas Baldovini, Luc Du Sault
VICE-PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTION: Nicolas Boisvert

[Company Credits]
CREATIVE AGENCY: LG2
CLIENT: Quebec City Police
PRODUCTION COMPANY: OKOK
SOUND STUDIO: Studio Expression

[Individual Credits - Client - Quebec City Police]
Émilie Bruneau - Communications Advisor, Public Safety Communications Division
Marie-Claude Brousseau