The Foundation
Awareness campaign
Campaign history
From the outset, the Literacy Foundation has done everything to raise Quebecers’ awareness of the cause of literacy and has sought to reach the public, who are sceptical as to whether illiteracy really exists in our society. Thus, awareness campaigns were designed in conjunction with well-known marketing communications agencies, such as Cossette, Diesel and Bleublancrouge.
Cossette Quebec City
1989-1990
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Advertising campaign confronting the public with a difficulty comparable to those experienced daily by illiterate individuals. |
1990-1991
Two TV advertisements featuring Marie Tifo (Carte d’anniversaire [Birthday card]) and Pierre Curzi (Œuf [Egg]) shock Quebecers by presenting them with the real family situations of illiterate people, and the success arising from taking literacy training.
1991-1992
Tribute to the courage and pride of all adults learning to read and write, the pillars of the literacy cause.
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Cossette Montreal
1998-1999
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Two TV messages, Osé (Daring) and Belles images (Beautiful images), capture the public’s attention through evocative words associated with illiteracy. At the same time, a radio message and print advertisements emphasize the fact that illiterate individuals cannot read newspapers, but do look at them. |
Diesel Marketing
2001-2002
Highway, Demonstration, Contract and Newspaper: emotion-packed moments when the viewer can feel the anguish of living without being able to read.
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2002-2003
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Fill in the blank. Positioning of the Literacy Foundation’s new signature and revamping of its project logos. |
The Phylactère (Speech bubble) and Guillemets (Quotation marks) advertising plugs place the blank front and centre.
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2003-2004
Preventing illiteracy by filling in the blank, encouraging young people to read…
The character of Tintin quite naturally comes to the rescue of the wordless speech bubble, both on TV and in posters and printed material.
Inspired by a common situation, Le clavier (Keyboard) conveys how uncomfortable illiterate people are with technology.
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2004-2005
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Focussing on Alain Denis, a functional illiterate until his 30s who went on to become president of his own firm, this campaign was aimed at reaching the general public to enhance the efforts made by individuals with reading and writing difficulties to improve their lives. |
Bleublancrouge
2007-2008
The Bleublancrouge advertising agency designed the Foundation’s new signature and its new logo on the theme of Words of hope.
With one adult in two having trouble reading, the Foundation launched a twofold appeal to the public—Help us help them! and You can do it!—and revealed some shocking statistics: “49% of Quebecers have great difficulty reading” and “800,000Quebecers are illiterate.”
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2008-2009
We can no longer afford to do without the talents and resources of adults with low reading proficiency—such was the message conveyed by the Foundation in this new TV advertisement (French only).
