EXPLORATION FUND

A $100,000 innovation fund for exploring creative solutions that are hidden in the blind spots of brands.


BLIND SPOTS

Blind spots are where a brand can tap into yet-to-be-explored commercial creativity. Blind spots vary from brand to brand—as do the creative solutions that lie within. Whether you’re revamping the customer experience, creating a new product or service or building an alternative advertising ecosystem and new content, the goal is to explore a broader creative spectrum for solutions that hit the mark in terms of desirability, efficiency and feasibility.

HOW TO ENTER

To enter, simply submit one or more business challenges that keep you up at night. Or, as they’re known here at Sid Lee, a Problem Zero. Your problem might have its roots in communication or business operations. You could win a $100,000 fund to explore creative business solutions hidden in your brand’s blind spot.


The deadline for entry is April 28th. 
The winning project will be announced by May 12th.

Only Sid Lee’s partner brands are eligible.

See the contest rules

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. The degree of originality of the issue raised in the Submission (25%)

2. The degree of clarity of the issue raised in the Submission (25%)

3. The degree of importance of the issue in the conduct of the candidate brand’s business (25%)

4. The degree of feasibility of a potential resolution of the issue raised in the Submission (25%)

 

WHAT IS A PROBLEM ZERO?

It’s a deeply rooted problem within a brief—the source, not the symptom—and the starting point for exploring a blind spot. A simple and easy way to find your Problem Zero is the 5 Whys technique. Ask 5 why questions to get to the source of a problem.

Example :

Problem with the brief: Gen Zers don’t buy my product

Problem Zero: My product isn’t relevant any more

EXPLORATION PARTNER: THE LAB

To help you explore, Sid Lee has created The LAB. A diverse kit of tools and talent that explores how the brand lives on the surface, while at the same time delving into the creative business solutions that could lie hidden beneath.

 

LOCAL IGA ACCELERATOR

How do you become the leader in local products when everyone else is talking about the same thing? IGA has put words into action and created an agri-food business accelerator aimed at increasing the number of local products available on the shelves in Quebec.

More than 200 submissions. 16 companies selected for the first cohort of 2023.

BUILD THE VOTE

How do we get young people more involved in the electoral process when they want to be part of the conversation but don’t know where to start? Build the Vote realized that young people are intimidated by how complex elections are. The organization recreated the electoral process in Minecraft as an educational experience to teach young people about the various stages of an election and help them forge their own political opinion. The initiative received a strong response:

362M impressions, an 85% conversion rate, and over 100 news articles worldwide. As a result, Rock the Vote made it part of their yearly Democracy Class education program in the U.S., and Microsoft, the owners of Minecraft — are also looking into making the experience a permanent education tool for classrooms around the world.

Registration for the Exploration Fund is now closed. Thank you for entering. The selected candidate will be announced by May 12, 2023. If you are still interested in exploring the blind spot on any of your future projects, please speak directly with your Sid Lee account manager.