We reimagined an entire country’s positioning and gave marketers the tools to use it.
We’ve built brands for founders, for Challengers, for companies in the middle of a turning point. This time, we built one for our country.
Not because anyone asked us to. Because the story needed to be told.
In the middle of a global trade war and rising economic nationalism, Canada risks being overlooked—our identity flattened into clichés: polite, peaceful, maple-syrup-loving bystanders to the world’s chaos. But clichés don’t build nations. And they definitely don’t open doors to new trade partnerships, attract top talent, or inspire a generation to lead.
So we set out to tell a truer story. One that doesn’t just highlight who we’ve been—but who we are now, and who we’re becoming.
This wasn’t about a video. It was about momentum.
The world is shifting—economically, politically, culturally.
And Canada must rethink how it shows up.
We approached it like any challenger brand project:
- Identified the gap between reputation and reality.
- Defined four core pillars: Thriving. Resourceful. Unyielding. Enterprising. (TRUE)
- Thriving, not just surviving.
- Resourceful, turning diversity into advantage.
- Unyielding, in values and ambition.
- Enterprising, building what the future needs—today.
- We built a narrative platform that could flex across sectors, markets, and audiences:
True North. True Canada.
The video was designed to spark pride, urgency, and national conversation. But we knew inspiration alone wasn’t enough.
So we followed it with something practical.
The Canada Challenger Playbook
If the video told the story, the Playbook helps others use it.
Built for Canadian entrepreneurs and marketers, it’s a toolkit for those navigating rising tariffs, shifting alliances, and global uncertainty. It offers language, structure, and strategy to help Canadian businesses position themselves with strength and clarity.
Because when Canadian businesses lead with values, identity becomes a competitive advantage
Why this matters, even if you’re not Canadian.
Whatever you’re building—a startup, a message, a movement—this campaign is a reminder:
→ Speed and clarity beat perfection. This wasn’t commissioned, funded, or focus-grouped. It was built on instinct, insight, and intent.
→ Brands must lead with values, not vanity.
→ Identity is a competitive advantage if you define it, own it, and use it strategically.
→ Challenger thinking scales—from startups to nations. You don’t need to be the biggest to make the boldest move.
