CEE Centre breaks first campaign
By Derek Winkler
Toronto based non-profit organization the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals has begun a marketing campaign called “Who I Really Am.” Developed pro bono by Publicis Groupe Canada, the campaign is the first large marketing effort by the organization. It is intended to raise awareness of discrimination against Black youth in the Canadian workforce. The campaign features the personal stories of nine people who receive career training from the centre. The creative makes use of images of these people wearing hooded sweatshirts depicting their successes. The initiative includes online video, social media and influencer content, as well as out-of-home advertising in Toronto.
“We wanted to give CEE a strategic creative territory from which future campaigns could unfold,” said Scott Pinkney, executive creative director at Publicis Hawkeye. “This would shine a light on their ongoing commitment to help Black youth thrive. We needed a powerful way to take the ‘Black Youth Can’ platform to the streets of Toronto, and we did with our first integrated campaign.”