ADC Awards
ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, with an incredible legacy of over 100 years. These awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging and product design, motion, experiential and spatial design, photography, illustration and fashion design – all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.
Learn more about ADC105
Category
Use of Typography
Annual ID
ADC104_TYP043M
Publicis Toronto’s brand transformation wasn’t just about designing a typeface—it was about redefining identity through collective creativity. Inspired by the original handwritten marks of Publicis founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, the agency set out to create a typography system that merged nearly a century of history with a forward-thinking vision.
Rather than developing the new visual identity behind closed doors, Publicis Toronto took a radical approach: engaging every employee in the creative process. The agency’s internal team analyzed the original letterforms, extracting key geometric and structural elements to serve as a foundation. But instead of stopping there, they invited every team member—regardless of role or department—to contribute their own handwritten letterforms.
This innovative co-creation process transformed a simple typeface into a living, breathing representation of the agency itself. The result was a font that blends history and modernity, featuring wide proportions, rounded curves, ink traps, and uniquely structured arcs. Beyond aesthetics, the typeface became the cornerstone of Publicis Toronto’s rebrand, applied across digital, print, and motion design, seamlessly unifying past and present.
More than a design project, this initiative embodied the agency’s Lead the Change philosophy. It wasn’t about adapting to change—it was about creating it. By turning identity design into a collaborative act, Publicis Toronto not only redefined its visual language but also reinforced its core belief: the future is built by many, not just one.
This is more than a typeface. It’s an evolution of identity. A symbol of collective creativity. And proof that a brand’s story isn’t just something it tells—it’s something it writes, together.
Rather than developing the new visual identity behind closed doors, Publicis Toronto took a radical approach: engaging every employee in the creative process. The agency’s internal team analyzed the original letterforms, extracting key geometric and structural elements to serve as a foundation. But instead of stopping there, they invited every team member—regardless of role or department—to contribute their own handwritten letterforms.
This innovative co-creation process transformed a simple typeface into a living, breathing representation of the agency itself. The result was a font that blends history and modernity, featuring wide proportions, rounded curves, ink traps, and uniquely structured arcs. Beyond aesthetics, the typeface became the cornerstone of Publicis Toronto’s rebrand, applied across digital, print, and motion design, seamlessly unifying past and present.
More than a design project, this initiative embodied the agency’s Lead the Change philosophy. It wasn’t about adapting to change—it was about creating it. By turning identity design into a collaborative act, Publicis Toronto not only redefined its visual language but also reinforced its core belief: the future is built by many, not just one.
This is more than a typeface. It’s an evolution of identity. A symbol of collective creativity. And proof that a brand’s story isn’t just something it tells—it’s something it writes, together.
2025 Awards
Total Points: 3
Merit Honor
Credits
Digital Agency
Publicis / Toronto
Chief Creative Officer
Vinicius Dalvi
Copywriter
Elliot Lewis
Editor
Issac Winter
Typographer
Jamie Chang
Chief Strategic Officer
Mary Chambers
EVP, Managing Director
Serene Gaspar
Bobby Malhotra
Head of Art
Victor Yves
Motion Graphics
Livia Apra
Post-Production Manager
Rebecca Burtnik
Project Manager
Ariane Rios
Sr Art Director/Designer
Olga Netaeva
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