Cossette’s Guide to Simultaneously Dropping 4 Bye Bye Hits
Among the agencies that put up a strong showing at the 2024 Bye Bye awards is, undoubtedly, Cossette. Not only did its team deliver four pieces of work that generated positive feedback, but its campaign for Metro took home third place in the popular vote – the fourth year in a row that one of its ads has ranked in the show’s top three.
More than that however, the agency delivered all of this for some of the country’s biggest brands – Les Éleveurs de porc du Québec, Air Canada, and McDonald’s being the other three – with the latter marking its first return to the event since 2019. So, to call the night a success, undoubtedly, would be a fair assessment.
But what does it take to pull something like this off? After all, when you’ve got several brands that each have distinct tones, and collectively need to embrace the power of bold creative (all without being overly sellout), it’s fair to say that you’ll have some challenges on your hands. So, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with the Cossette team, including creative directors Geneviève Duquette and Anik Ouellet, as well as associate creative director Marc-André Vigneault, to find out the exact answer to this question.
LBB> Congratulations on an incredible set of spots at the Bye Bye awards! Now that the rush to get it all done is over, how are you feeling? Are you proud of the work you created?
Geneviève> It’s truly an honour to be part of this iconic end-of-year tradition that resonates so deeply with Quebecers. Participation in the Bye Bye awards has grown again this year, and we’ve had lots of positive feedback about our ads. Many of our colleagues at Cossette have mentioned hearing people talk about them in their own circles. More than the rankings, our main goal is for these ads to be a meaningful part of this shared moment of entertainment, sparking strong reactions and connections in Quebec households.
LBB> In particular, your spot for Metro took home third place – congratulations! What does this accomplishment mean to you, and going into the night, did you expect to do so well?
Geneviève> We’re thrilled with this recognition, especially as it’s the fourth year in a row that our Metro ad has ranked in the Bye Bye’s top three. As an official sponsor, Metro benefits significantly from visibility during the event, and we have a responsibility to meet viewers’ expectations. The pressure increases every year, but that only makes the challenge more exciting.
LBB> Of course, all the work is worth celebrating – let’s talk a bit more about how it came to life! What does it take to create so many spots for such a large occasion? Logistically, how did you approach this?
Geneviève> Fortunately, not all of our clients follow the same production schedule. Some are seasoned Bye Bye advertisers and plan well in advance (some of our Bye Bye ads are written as early as June), while others prefer to wait until the last minute to capitalise on recent events.
We also assign ideation to different teams, which not only helps with logistics, but also maximises creativity. Working on Bye Bye ads is a real privilege, so there’s always a bit of friendly competition amongst the agency’s creatives for these projects. At the same time, there’s a strong sense of collaboration, since work pays off for everyone in the end.
LBB> Are there general rules you follow while creating work for the Bye Bye awards? How do you stay true to the tone of the respective brands, while also ensuring the humour lands well?
Geneviève> Bye Bye ads are a bit like a gift to viewers – a chance for brands to connect with them. The goal is to entertain while aligning with the festive context and the celebratory mood of the audience. So, it’s important to take bold creative risks and go ‘all in’. Whether we use humour or make a nod to the year’s events, we always ensure the content is
relevant to the advertiser, with a message that stays true to the brand’s values and tone.
LBB> Let’s talk about your Air Canada work. For this, you decided to re-imagine ‘La Guerre des tuques’. Why was this right for this year’s approach?
Anik> As part of the ‘See you there’ creative platform, we asked ourselves: ‘how can we make a memorable appearance in the Bye Bye while giving something meaningful back to Quebecers?’. That’s when we had the idea to tie into a beloved holiday TV classic, ‘La Guerre des tuques’. We reimagined an iconic scene from the film, giving it a playful twist in a beachside setting, which we dubbed ‘La Guerre des casques de bain’.
LBB> Building on this, what did it take to actually recreate the scene from the original? Do you have any anecdotes from the experience?
Anik> Every little detail reflects our care in recreating the scene as faithfully as possible… except for one key difference. In Air Canada’s version, Cléo, the movie’s legendary dog, survives the collapse of the castle. In a way, we brought this beloved character back to life, delighting fans with a happy ending. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to highlight the film’s recent 40th anniversary, and the fact that it’s now available on select Air Canada flights.
LBB> Notably, this was also McDonald’s first return to the Bye Bye lineup since 2019. What made this the right year to do so, and how did this factor into your creative process?
Marc-André> We previously had the opportunity to collaborate with Simon-Olivier Fecteau, the director of the Bye Bye, for our ‘McJoueur - Auditioning with McD’s’ campaign featuring Juraj Slafkovskýj. So, including a Bye Bye-style spot felt like a natural fit and came up early in the process.
Since we didn’t want to simply reuse one of the spots already filmed, seen and rewatched by Quebec audiences, we focused on how we could tie everything together without making it too product-centric. After four commercials showing the audition process Simon-Olivier put Juraj through, and one showcasing the final result, we came up with the idea of presenting a festive moment between Simon-Olivier and Juraj to highlight and close their collaboration.
Given that Simon-Olivier played a slightly unpleasant director throughout the campaign, we thought it would be a great opportunity to reverse the roles and let Juraj have some lighthearted revenge, all while keeping the holiday spirit alive.
We also loved the idea of featuring Juraj speaking in his native language as a way to thank him for learning a few words of French for us.
LBB> And what was collaborating with Juraj like?
Marc-André> It was truly a pleasure to work with Juraj. He was incredibly professional both on and off set. It certainly wasn’t easy for him – learning and delivering lines in French, on a French set, surrounded by French-speaking people – but he never let it show. He kept his contagious smile throughout the entire shoot, even when we asked him to stay an extra hour to finish the Bye Bye spot.
On a more personal note, as a big hockey fan, I have to admit I was a little starstruck... and I could happily listen to his ‘Bonne année’, delivered in flawless French, on repeat.
LBB> Meanwhile, for Les Éleveurs de porc du Québec, you were tasked with something a little different – being funny while also inviting a new generation to embrace pork. How did you strike the balance of the two in this year’s work?
Geneviève> One of the challenges with the Bye Bye is that it brings together a very broad audience, spanning all ages and regions of Quebec. The insights or situations presented need to resonate with the majority of viewers.
For this campaign, I think the playful mechanics and slightly absurd humour of the concept helped us give the brand a more youthful edge, all within a mass-market ad tailored specifically for New Year’s Eve.
LBB> Last but not least, the theme of making and breaking promises is super fun for the Metro work. What was the writing process like for this winning spot, and what factors do you think made it extra special?
Geneviève> With Metro’s ‘A Taste for Life’ brand platform, we really want consumers to see themselves reflected in the stories. The goal is to capture those small human truths that everyone can relate to. To achieve this, we feature a variety of characters and situations, allowing us to explore every aspect of the concept.
Throughout the creative and production process, the creative team, director, and sometimes even the actors themselves enhanced the scripts by adding their own insights and personal experiences. We wrote and tested a wide range of lines to ensure we could select (during editing) the ones that were not only the most entertaining, but also the most universally resonant.
LBB> As a whole, what challenges came with creating these spots? And how did you overcome them?
Marc-André> On our side, the biggest challenge was the limited shooting time. We had just six hours of Juraj’s availability to film five 30-second commercials, social media clips, and a Bye Bye spot. Since the Bye Bye spot was filmed last, it added even more pressure, especially with the airtime already purchased. Thankfully, none of that stress is visible in the final product.
Anik> For Air Canada, it was primarily a production challenge involving flexibility and collaboration on licensing rights. We also faced the complexity of filming abroad with several children who spoke different languages – Spanish and Portuguese – alongside two translators, a dog, and unpredictable weather. While the location was stunning, the shoot was anything but relaxing!
LBB> Finally, what lessons have you learned from this year’s process? Are there takeaways that you’ll be using to influence your approach to competing in next year’s awards?
Marc-André> Bringing McDonald’s back to the Bye Bye this year gave both the client team and us at Cossette a clear sense of how much this end-of-year show (watched by more than 4 million viewers) is a truly unique and unifying moment for Quebecers. It’s the perfect platform for a brand like McDonald’s to offer something distinctive and memorable, positioning itself as a brand that genuinely understands Quebec’s unique market while embracing its traditions and customs. There’s no doubt we’ll continue to push further in this direction next year, and in the years to come.
Anik> In my opinion, Air Canada’s strategy was a winning one. For a second year at the Bye Bye, the feedback we’ve heard has been very positive. We’re really pleased with the outcome.
Geneviève> The quality and creativity of Bye Bye ads continues to rise year after year. The bar keeps getting higher for agencies and advertisers, but the payoff for brands grows as
well. This evening truly represents an opportunity to strengthen the love Quebecers have for local brands, and, I think, to rekindle some love for advertising as a whole.
