We were approached to rebrand and market Canoo, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship's flagship app that helps unlock the best of Canada for newcomers. The purpose: to foster greater inclusion and belonging for every newcomer that calls Canada home, by offering free access to a wide range of cultural venues and events across Canada. The creative approach: Canada Modern, with a twist.
The 1950s and 60s saw a renaissance in Canadian design, fuelled by a wave of immigration that brought new European design sensibilities to the country. It was during this 'golden age' that many of the symbols of Canada’s national identity were forged (by immigrants). We took these codes and modernized them, using them as the building blocks of the identity, mixing sans serif typography, strong underlying grids, a fresh colour palette, and iconic illustrated symbols that evoke iconic Canadian design in a modern way. New icons were developed for the app to fit with the design aesthetic and make a more complete user experience. And for typography we selected a modernized version on the iconic international design typeface Helvetica - "Neue Montreal", created by the Canadian typefoundry Pangram Pangram.
We then developed the overarching brand device: The Canoo Line. Inspired by the canoo (a uniquely Canadian mode of transport, and how people once traveled through parts of Canada) and the universal way-finding trailblaze symbol (the painted hiking line), we created a simple, dynamic and powerful graphic element that guides the way and prompts experiences in motion in key places along the user journey. The artistic direction leverages vintage photography and infuses it with a modern freshness, allowing contemporary imagery to merge seamlessly with historic imagery, tied together within a graphic system that allows maximum flexibility, endless combinations, and delightful discoveries.
Client: Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Agency: Creative Business Company
Creative Direction: Alex Nereuta
Artistic & Design Direction: Alex Nereuta
Copywriting: Jessie Sternthal
Follow the work: @awol_art_alex
