the globe and mail is the official Canadian Representative of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

As the twenty year anniversary of this partnership approached, The Globe and Mail was looking to create engagement around their series of Cannes-related events. This was an excellent opportunity to highlight what they’re best known for (detailed coverage of the festival) and to channel the French Riviera energy all year long.

Language played a key role — we strategically renamed the events to emphasize the mood through the year: Pré Cannes, Canada à Cannes, and Après Cannes. We also brought in common French conversational phrases for warmth and connection.

Borrowing the visual language of 1950s summer holiday postcards, we developed a system of elegant revival typefaces that we paired with celebratory and riviera-themed photography. The result is easily scalable — from event signage and mech to applications in digital spaces.

No anniversary celebration is complete without gifts, and what better way than an oversized newspaper.

In keeping with the French-theme the newspaper was titled Le Journal Canadien. With the help of editor extraordinaire Charlotte Herrold we developed witty Canadian-themed content: a witty weather forecast, advice from competition jurors, a showcase of gold-winning work, and Q&As with emerging Canadian talent headed to the festival. Photos from the Pré Cannes event by Albert Hoang gave yearbook vibes.

Wrapped in whimsy and Canadiana references courtesy of the incomparable Giacomo Gambineri (see if you can spot the trash panda), this gift complemented functional branded swag, such as locally-sourced totes and reusable water bottles.