SMALL AOY | GOLD
This article was originally published in the Fall issue of Strategy Magazine
In the 2001 book Good to Great, author Jim Collins describes the “flywheel effect” – a wheel that takes tremendous effort to push at first but, as more people contribute, gains momentum and starts turning on its own. At that point, it becomes almost unstoppable.
“It feels like we’re down that path,” says Brent Choi, partner and CEO of Angry Butterfly, reflecting on the Toronto-based agency’s four-year journey. “We are definitely at an inflection point.”
In 2024, that turning point saw Angry Butterfly cement its position as one of Canada’s most innovative agencies. From campaigns that playfully skirted federal regulations to ideas that spark long-lasting conversations, the agency has set out to create work that ripples through industries and audiences. “Our name is not a coincidence,” he says. “We like to create ‘The Butterfly Effect.’”
The agency’s work this year, notably its award-winning “Next to Stok’d” campaign for Stok’d Cannabis, embodies this ethos.
The work, which launched in February 2024, cleverly navigated Canada’s strict Cannabis Act, which prohibits direct cannabis advertising. Rather than promoting Stok’d Cannabis directly to consumers, Angry Butterfly highlighted the businesses located next to Stok’d retail locations – neatly sidestepping regulations while still driving consumer awareness. The campaign became a sensation, winning a Bronze Cannes Lion and sparking conversations across the cannabis and advertising industries alike.
“Everyone was talking about it,” says Choi, explaining how the agency initially held back on PR to let the campaign build organic traction. “We wanted to create that butterfly effect where people were talking about it and sharing it.” The success of the campaign wasn’t just in its clever approach to cannabis marketing, but in the agency’s ability to generate earned media and extend the campaign’s life into a second phase that outperformed the first.
“It’s one of those things where we think: what’s going to get people engaged?” Choi says. “Engagement comes through many different criteria but, in this particular case, it’s talking about it, sharing it.”
Such work isn’t an anomaly for Angry Butterfly. Choi describes the shop’s recent work pattern as “not a one-off, not a two-off,” but a continuous stream of innovative campaigns that pushed boundaries, including its award-winning 2023 campaign, “Bill It To Bezos.”
A key reason for Angry Butterfly’s success is the mindset its three core partners – Choi, CMO Erin Kawalecki and CSO Graham Candy – have nurtured since the days the three got the storied “flywheel” moving in 2021. Choi himself is a graduate of the Ivey Business School at Western University. Kawalecki brings a portfolio of award-winning ad work to the table. Meanwhile, Candy has a PhD in anthropology from the University of Toronto.
The agency’s staff count sits at 47, with some working out of the U.S., Egypt, India, France and Polynesia. “There is a real diversity of thinking,” Kawalecki says. “That means professional backgrounds, but it also means we have people working from five different countries. We sometimes hire people from outside the advertising world.”
In addition to art directors, copywriters and executives, Angry Butterfly also has a doctorate in mathematics and an archaeology PhD on its roster, bringing a certain rigor and cultural insights to the agency. “That is a big part of what makes us unique,” Kawalecki says. “We call it the left brain, right brain. We think they’re both quite strong, and it’s not always that our business analysts are impacting the creative work, but it’s through working together that we have a bit of a secret sauce.”
That team alchemy – and secret sauce – was on full display in Angry Butterfly’s September campaign for Porsche Canada, entitled “Cayenne Taste Drive,” which included offering test drivers a customized bottle of its signature hot sauce. In the spot, filmed at a Cayenne pepper farm, each driver was given a Scoville rating based on their performance, which was calculated using a custom Cayenne algorithm.
“We knew we could sell the idea because we had mathematical rigor behind it,” says Choi. “If it ever got interrogated, we could prove it was all legit. That kind of thinking allows us to be confident in the work we do.” This approach has made them a favourite among forward-thinking clients like Porsche, Dairy Farmers of Canada and The Co-operators Insurance.
Now, with AI sweeping the marketing and advertising industry, Angry Butterfly remains ever-more focused on using the “butterfly effect” to create an ever-growing ripple through the industry. “Our goal,” Kawalecki adds, “is to create beauty in chaos.”
New Business
Porsche, Stok’d, Gibson’s Finest, IMAX U.S., NOMA (Canadian Tire)
New Hires
Ben Schroeder, Karen Hyman, Ben LeDrew, Roman Sidorov, Lorn Williams, Dennis Soler, Nikeetaa Ghaneckar, Louise Delfin, Cassandra Chung, Jack Kelleher, Karol Vargas
Offices
Toronto, Montreal
Staff
47
Cases
Campaign of the Year – Small Agency
The “Next to Stok’d” campaign by Angry Butterfl y cleverly bypassed cannabis advertising restrictions by promoting neighbouring businesses instead. By using geo-targeted ads and collabs with nearby stores, Stok’d was able to infer cannabis and its benefits in a disruptive way. In the end, it increased in-store shoppers by 26%, online customers by 29% and revenue by 12%.
The “Moo or False” campaign for Dairy Farmers of Canada used a polygraph test to debunk dairy myths, engaging millennials and Gen Z with videos, environmental information and entertaining content. The campaign achieved 804,000 full video completions and a 311% increase in purchase intent.
The agency’s “Claim Changers” campaign for the Co-operators spotlighted the brand’s sustainability efforts by showcasing once-damaged items being restored by the company. Through a public showroom and media integration with The Social, the brand gave a new lease on life to damaged furniture, demonstrating its claims process and leading to an 85% boost in sentiment.
