Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

Congratulations to our highly creative 2024 Ad Club of Edmonton (ACE) Student Case Competition winners Paul Porras, Alexis Dodd, and Sarah Paterson! This dynamic team of university students won a $1,000 cash prize and accepted their coveted award on stage at the ACE Awards on April 27th.  

The competition is put on by ACE each year to give students exposure to industry experts, mentors, and the opportunity to develop a potential campaign for a local not-for-profit. Berlin Communications sponsored this year’s event, bringing in the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation as the competition’s ‘client.’ Our very own Dr. Ben Tyrrell, Chief of Cardiology for the CK Hui Heart Centre and Lindsay Robertson, Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Brand for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation were among the panel of five judges and those who delivered the brief. 

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Berlin Communications for inviting us as this year’s client and to ACE for organizing such a great event that provides valuable learning opportunities for eager young talent and marketing insights for non-profits like the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation.” - Dr. Ben Tyrrell, CK Hui Heart Centre  

The project objective was to create a “can’t miss” social event in support of the CK Hui Heart Centre at the Royal Alexandra Hospital to entice a new generation of donors. The winners did not disappoint in unveiling the Heartbeat Hideaway – a speakeasy-themed fundraiser. Leading up to the main Heartbeat Hideaway cocktail party was a Hidden Heart Pass: allowing partnerships with local bars and restaurants to support the CK Hui Heart Centre through a portion of proceeds from designated menu items going to support the cause, receiving a “Heartbeat Partner” sponsorship deal and obtaining coasters with QR codes to register for the main event.  

Thank you to each team that presented their own strategic and unique ideas. Although one team was chosen for the award, all participants benefited from a designated team mentor from Berlin Communications, Departure House, Vision Creative, ZGM Modern Marketing Partners, Explore Edmonton, and DDB Canada. They gained experience rationalizing their ideas from a strategic perspective and gaining exposure to the industry and network of future peers, colleagues, and mentors.  

“On behalf of the board we want to congratulate the students who participated in this year's case competition. They should be so proud of themselves for all the work they put into this project. Our goal is to establish a connection for students to the industry and we hope they have gained a bit more insight into the opportunities the industry has to offer.”  -ACE

Click here to learn more about the 2024 ACE Student Case Competition!