When our clients at Western Union counted on us, we delivered Gold. And by that we mean taking home the grand prize for Local, Regional, or Market Specific Marketing category at the 2025 ANA Multicultural and Inclusive Marketing Excellence Awards.
About the award:
The ANA Multicultural and Inclusive Marketing Excellence Awards celebrate campaigns that excel in authentically engaging diverse communities across the U.S. and beyond. This year’s winners were chosen for their innovation, inclusivity, and impact in driving growth through culturally grounded creativity.
“This Gold isn’t just about great creative. It’s about trust,” said Ulyssis Enrico, Group Account Director at AVC. “Our partnership with Western Union has always been rooted in collaboration. They’ve trusted us to challenge the brief, to push for authenticity, and to find meaning beyond the message. That’s what made this win possible.”
Counting on Culture
Toronto isn’t just a city. It’s a mosaic of homes away from home. A place where sending money isn’t just a transaction but an act of love, a bridge to family, a promise kept across oceans. Western Union wanted to strengthen that connection and deepen its relevance across the city’s multicultural landscape while driving digital adoption among high-value customers.
And with that, the challenge for AVC became clear: make Western Union feel not only reliable but relatable. To remind South Asian, Filipino, and Jamaican communities that no matter how they send, Western Union understands why they send.
The result was a simple, powerful truth: “Count on us when they count on you.”
The Heart of the Idea
The line became more than a campaign. It became a promise. One that spoke to the emotional heartbeat of remittances across cultures. Each story was unique, yet united by one shared belief: the act of sending money is an act of care.
“Authenticity starts in the idea. At AVC, we made sure every story we created came from a place of real understanding. And with our partners at Klever Kaos, that authenticity carried through every frame.” Hassan Iqbal
Across Screens, Across Communities
The campaign came to life across every channel and every corner of Toronto.
- TVCs ran on multicultural OTT platforms like Zee5, Disney Hotstar, and TFC, in multiple languages.
- OOH lit up TTC transits, bus shelters, Dundas Square screens, and neighbourhood hubs with familiar faces and messages that felt close to home.
- Influencers like the Caleon Twins, Waddup Canada, and Radine extended the story authentically in-language and in-culture.
- On-ground, Western Union showed up where the communities such as Jerk Fest, Taste of India, and Fun Philippines.
A Message That Moved Markets
The campaign delivered over 19 million impressions across OOH and digital, while the influencer content alone generated 500,000+ engagements and 2.5 million views.
But more importantly, it drove real results. Omnichannel transactions grew in Toronto, app usage increased, and corridor share strengthened for the Philippines, India, and Jamaica. And the success of the campaign didn’t stop here. Its impact and authenticity have inspired global adaptation, with Western Union now extending the “Count on Us” campaign into other key markets worldwide.
“Over the years, Western Union has trusted us to understand their audiences as deeply as they do. That kind of partnership leads not only to great work, but to meaningful work as well.” Shaharyan Irfan
A Win That Counts
Winning Gold at the ANA Awards is more than a moment of recognition. It’s a reminder that inclusive storytelling isn’t niche. For AVC, this win reaffirms our belief that when brands put culture at the core, creativity follows and so does impact.