Creative Strategy

• Brief & KPI Development

• Activation Strategy

• Consumer Journey

• Communications Planning

• Creative Ideation & Support

• Post-campaign Reporting

2025 saw a "Shop Canadian" wave, with consumers more motivated than ever to support homegrown businesses. CIBC saw an opportunity to put that sentiment into action by celebrating its own small business clients on an international stage, building awareness for CIBC's Business Banking line, and showing CIBC and Toronto Pearson's shared support for Canadian entrepreneurship. The challenge was translating that into an activation that delivered real product engagement without functioning as a full retail store, all within strict airport regulations, and designed to work whether a brand ambassador was on-site or not.

Our strategy was to turn a high-traffic transit space into a discovery moment. Brand ambassadors intercepted travellers passing through Terminal 1, introducing them to the three featured businesses and inviting them into a gallery-style experience. Each business had its own dedicated screen sharing its founder's story, tactile product displays, and QR codes offering an exclusive discount, so interest could convert into a purchase immediately or be picked up again once travellers were home. Passengers who wanted to go further were guided to the on-site CIBC banking centre, connecting the small business story directly back to CIBC's own offering.

Beyond the space itself, awareness was built through terminal signage (baggage claim, arrivals, a jumbo screen above the activation), passenger newsletters to both travellers and GTAA employees, and CIBC's own social channels. This layered paid placement, direct comms, and organic promotion to drive traffic into the space. Earned media outreach extended the story even further, generating national coverage that reached well beyond the airport itself.