The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has earned recognition from the 2026 Hermes Creative Awards for creative excellence across multiple communications initiatives. This includes two Gold awards and two Honourable Mentions.
BCIT was recognized for the following initiatives:
- BCIT News newsletter – Gold, Creative Design: Publications (Newsletter)
- BCIT student influencer TikTok content – Gold, Social Media and Creator Content (TikTok)
- BCIT Our Impact webpage – Honourable Mention, Creative Design: Websites (Mobile)
- Microsoft Teams softphones adoption – Honourable Mention, Marketing Collateral and Brand Assets (Postcard)
The Hermes Creative Awards is one of the oldest and largest international creative competitions, administered by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP). The program recognizes outstanding work across the creative industry and highlights the philanthropic spirit of marketing and communications professionals worldwide.
This year’s competition attracted more than 6,000 entries from across Canada and over 30 other countries. Award recipients range from individuals to global organizations, including companies such as Paramount Pictures, McKinsey & Company, and PepsiCo Design & Innovation.
“The recognition from the Hermes Creative Awards reflects the creativity and purpose-driven work of the Marketing and Communications team, in collaboration with schools and service areas across the Institute,” said Lara Johnson, Associate Vice President, BCIT Marketing and Communications. “Together, these award-winning initiatives exemplify BCIT’s commitment to building vibrant communities and driving digital transformation to support student success.
BCIT student influencer TikTok content (Gold)
The BCIT Marketing and Communications Team created the BCIT Student Influencer program as part of its efforts to support student recruitment and brand awareness. Students who are part of the program create social content that showcases authentic student stories and experiences.
Content are shared across BCIT’s official social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. BCIT TikTok is focused on short-form, vertical video that emphasizes authenticity, humour, and relatable student experiences.
A TikTok video from former BCIT student influencer Joanne Chan became one of the Institute’s top-performing social content, generating over 1.2 million views.
BCIT News newsletter (Gold)
The BCIT News newsletter is a monthly roundup of top stories from BCIT News. It is designed for a broad audience that includes prospective students, industry, government, and more. Each edition is curated by the BCIT Marketing and Communications Team to highlight content relevant to its diverse readership.
In May 2024, the newsletter underwent significant redesign to improve brand alignment and visual engagement. The new redesign features prominent imagery, minimal copy, and an eye-catching call-to-action box with a button that encourages the reader to click through to the story link.
These changes further maximize BCIT’s brand photography style, which marries the beauty of dramatic spaces with subjects engaging in their field of expertise.
BCIT Our Impact webpage (Honourable Mention)
In collaboration with the BCIT Information and Technology Services Team (IT Services), the Marketing and Communications Team launched the BCIT Our Impact webpage in October 2024. Our Impact is the digital evolution of the Institute’s annual Year in Review publication, which was previously produced in print.
The new digital format is more accessible, interactive, and shareable. It provides a high-level snapshot of BCIT’s impact over the past academic year, highlighting achievements in student success, innovation, and workforce development. Users can easily explore featured stories in greater depth or navigate to areas of interest across the Institute.
Microsoft Teams softphones adoption (Honourable Mention)
In early 2024, BCIT consolidated multiple teaching, learning, and communications platforms into Microsoft 365, making Microsoft Teams (Teams) its unified tool for video conferencing, chat, and softphone capabilities for employees. As hybrid work became the norm and reliance on desk phones declined, the Institute transitioned fully to Teams as its primary communications platform.
To support this change, IT Services and Marketing and Communications developed a clear, engaging rollout strategy for employees. A key element was a creatively designed postcard placed on employees’ desks after physical phones were removed.
The front of the postcard featured the headline Hello, is it me you’re looking for?—a nod to Lionel Richie’s iconic song—along with a simple phone-line graphic. It introduced the transition and directed employees to begin using Teams, with a link for more information.
The reverse side provided practical support details, including how to contact IT Services and submit requests, functioning as a quick reference guide. This dual-purpose approach helped turn a major operational change into a smooth, well-received transition, with strong employee adoption and positive feedback.
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