A Website built to support Aviva Canada Inc.’s “Change Insurance” campaign was the gold winner of the Websites/Microsites — Financial Services Category at the 2008 Digital Marketing Awards held Monday night in Toronto.

Ad agency Taxi won the award for using a video of golden retriever puppies in its campaign for Toronto-based Aviva.

“We wanted to use humor to engage customers in the digital media and give them the opportunity to engage in dialogue…we played on the frustrations some people feel about our industry,” said Paul Fletcher, Aviva’s senior vice president of marketing in Canada. “The brief for Taxi was to come up with an engaging, amusing and fun piece that would resonate with the customer.”

As a part of www.changeinsurance.ca, the puppies previously appeared on the Web site after customers took an insurance knowledge quiz.

“When you take the insurance quiz at changeinsurance.ca, it becomes quite frustrating very quickly,” said Steve Mykolyn, executive creative director of Taxi Toronto and Calgary, who led the concept. “In an effort to ease the nerves of those taking the questionnaire, we made available video footage of some playful puppies. There couldn’t be a more universally adored and calming influence then that of warm and happy puppies.”

IE