2020 Winner
2020 Winners
Chiefs of Ontario
Not A Costume
For many, cultural appropriation is a sensitive topic because it stems from over a century of unaddressed problems created through colonization. However, by opening up a productive dialogue with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, there can be a better understanding of the problem.
BBDO identified a time of year, where, for the most part, unintentional acts of cultural appropriation were at its peak: Halloween. The one night of the year people get to pretend to be someone else and dress up in costume. As the world has seen in headlines more and more, people easily forget that someone’s culture isn’t something to be borrowed or misconstrued. Many (even celebrities and Prime Ministers) have worn costumes in the past that we may not have thought were offensive.
However, a plead for ignorance isn’t enough of a reason in 2019 to commit the same mistake. What may seem like a “harmless” costume for some (examples: “native warrior”, “sacred savages”, “reservation princess”, primitive men who only use bows and arrows) is a symbol of discrimination that devalues Indigenous culture and tradition. Surprisingly, most costume stores in Canada (in-store and online) still sell blatantly racist and offensive outfits that further stigmatize this marginalized community; keeping them in the past.
INSIGHTS/STRATEGY
The agency took advantage of the time of year these less than appropriate costume choices were being made, in order to change the narrative. It did this by recreating “Native Indian” Halloween costumes that better reflect and represent what Indigenous people actually look like: people. This is why it was pivotal to use Indigenous Canadians as models for every costume made. The goals were to show Indigenous Canadians that they do not need to be defined by outdated stereotypes, and to reinforce and further educate non-Indigenous Canadians the reason these backward practices are completely offensive.
EXECUTION
The campaign for Chiefs of Ontario was launched during the month of October, leading up to Halloween (busiest time for costume stores) in order to target Canadians looking to buy their next costumes. A partnership with a popular costume store chain in Toronto, Theatrics Plus, allowed it to take over an entire Halloween aisle and end-cap display, where it put costumes up for sale for customers. The display was accompanied with a shelf-talker that provided further education as to why the traditional Native American outfits are "Not A Costume."
RESULTS
The costumes sold out in less than 24 hours and the campaign was picked up in mainstream media across Canada. It not only resonated and was shared within the Indigenous communities, but also earned the overwhelming support of non-Indigenous Canadians across the country.
Beyond the headlines and media, the “Not A Costume” campaign is being introduced into the curriculum of Indigenous Studies at the University of Toronto and the University of Victoria. This campaign has sparked a way to engage students in a fresh way for productive dialogue on the topic of cultural appropriation beyond just Halloween; further educating a new generation of Canadians.