Innovation Canada

Client

Innovation Canada is a specialized branch of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) with a singular focus: "We back innovators." Its mission is to simplify the way Canadian entrepreneurs access government support, providing a bridge between ambitious private-sector ideas and the public-sector resources needed to realize them.

Innovation Canada is a high-velocity catalyst for the Canadian economy, focused on accelerating growth for high-potential companies, simplifying the navigation of government programs for businesses through digital tools and dedicated advisors, and fostering collaboration between academia, non-profits, and the private sector to build resilient industrial ecosystems. They serve a diverse range of stakeholders driving change, including start-ups and high-growth small businesses, while maintaining a core commitment to inclusion for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

This ensures that the solutions to tomorrow’s problems—from clean energy to healthcare—are developed by Canadians, for Canadians.

Scenic view of a lush green forest with a winding dirt path, overlooking a lake surrounded by mountains in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

A lush green rainforest with moss-covered trees and a decayed tree trunk.

A man wearing yellow waterproof pants, a teal shirt, gloves, and a life vest is using a pole to position logs in a body of water, with a background of a forested shoreline and cloudy sky.

A man in a safety vest and hard hat standing next to a logging truck loaded with logs on a dirt road in a forested area.

Process

Helping take the organization from —what appeared to be— a bureaucratic government agency, each telling their own stories, to a purpose brand that unites its sub-brands, inspires employees and engages investors.

We redefined Innovation Canada brand proposition, streamlined brand architecture to reduce complexity and modernized its identity. The ultimate goal was to transform Innovation Canada from a collection of distinct, and sometimes competing, entities into a cohesive and powerful purpose brand. This strategic shift not only clarified its public-facing image but also yielded profound internal benefits. The new, unifying brand narrative inspires employees across all levels and departments, fostering a shared sense of mission and direction. Crucially, this clear, singular brand purpose engages stakeholders more effectively, articulating the organization's collective value proposition and its pivotal role in national economic development.

Cover page of a report titled 'Superclusters' by Innovation Canada, Canada, with a woman working on a scientific or technological project.

Cover page of a report titled 'Clean Growth' by Innovation Canada with wind turbines and two silhouetted people in a renewable energy setting.

Cover of a report titled 'Accelerated Growth' by Innovation Canada, showing a smiling man in a checkered shirt standing outdoors with a pink background, and a graphic of an open envelope in yellow and white in the bottom right corner.

Project

In the end, it’s all about the innovators. Innovation Canada doesn’t exist to promote its own agenda—it is purpose-built to empower the people it services. This is reflected in the brand’s imagery, which is focused on innovators, their projects, their emotions, their individual journeys. It is also reflected in the language, which speaks to innovators about innovation before it speaks about itself. This is how the brand demonstrates understanding and empathy—and those demonstrations are how IC builds trusting relationships with innovators.

The specific elements of the Innovation Canada brand are simple and extensible, allowing a wide variety of imagery and topics to be consistently and elegantly portrayed.

An advertising billboard on a sidewalk next to a street, featuring a green background with text promoting business services, with the sun setting in the background and city buildings in the distance.