Contextual AI, brand safety, and the Kids Help Phone campaign that won three Cannes Lions in 2026 — live from Cannes, this Q-Series episode goes inside "Defining Help," the campaign built to find the exact content every other advertiser is built to avoid.

Nikki Stone sits down with Jeff McCann, Regional Vice President, Canada at Silverpush, the contextual AI company that ran its targeting technology in reverse for Kids Help Phone, McCann Canada, and Epitaph Group. Instead of avoiding "brand unsafe" videos about self-harm, depression, and eating disorders, the campaign found them — and served hundreds of creative variants to young people in crisis, region by region, powered by 50+ million anonymized, real-language data points from real youth conversations. Kids Help Phone has connected with young people over 22 million times since 2020 — and 75% of youth tell them something they've never shared with anyone. The result: two Gold Lions and a Silver at Cannes Lions 2026 — and kids picking up the phone.

Jeff also covers what breaking your own adtech product unlocks (broadcast-quality YouTube inventory, premium podcast targeting), the Lumen attention research proving contextual ads cost less and perform better, and his life advice for the Sixers: be consistent and thoughtful — it's a marathon, not a sprint.

This Q-Series raises funds for NABS Canada — the safety net for Canadian media, marketing and communications professionals. Donate: nabs.org

If you or a young person you know needs support: Kids Help Phone — call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

Watch on YouTube: [YT EPISODE LINK]

▸ CHAPTERS (Spotify — verified against final cut)

(00:00) Live from Cannes: Q-Series + NABS

(01:13) Meet Jeff McCann (Silverpush)

(01:38) Defining Help: breaking brand safety to reach kids in crisis

(05:18) Breaking your own product & why context wins

(13:00) Life advice: marathon, not a sprint

▸ GUEST

Jeff McCann — Regional Vice President, Canada, Silverpush · linkedin.com/in/mrjeffmccann

Silverpush → silverpush.co · linkedin.com/company/silverpush

▸ HOSTS

Nikki Stone — Founder, YQ Advisory → thinkyq.com · @YQAdvisory · @Nikkistone

Clare Ravenstreet — @Clareravenstreet

▸ FOLLOW

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5oBGB4Ig2dzaZOVfurpQTc?si=6169081aa0884967

▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thesixthsuite?si=BeqqPjUhOS4KUQEh

🌐 thesixthsuitepodcast.com · IG/TikTok: @thesixthsuite · LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-sixth-suite · Apple Podcasts: search "The Sixth Suite"

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💛 Support NABS Canada → nabs.org