Indie asset management firm Canoe Financial is doing away with doom and gloom visuals and complicated verbiage in favour of natural beauty and the great outdoors.

A new brand film by Bad Mktg anchors the campaign and signals a departure from the conservative messaging that Canoe says is typical to the category.

“We’re in an industry that often hides behind complexity,” says Darren Cabral, SVP at Canoe Financial. “This campaign is our way of saying: We don’t. And with Bad Mktg, we found a partner that understood how to translate that ethos into something culturally resonant and creatively sharp.”

The creative approach is designed to elevate brand recognition and resonate emotionally with investors seeking straightforward financial leadership.

However, the campaign avoids visual cliches such as stock-ticker arrows and portentous music and other creative crutches.

“We wanted to sidestep that entirely,” he says. “Canoe Financial’s brand is about being deliberate, not dramatic,” he says, with information delivered with authority.

Canoe is shifting from product-first to people-first branding for the campaign that targets driven and intelligent Canadian investors.

“That means less about fund mechanics, more about our values and how they align to our advisers and their clients,” Cabral says. “We’ve leaned into digital-first creative, storytelling that works across formats and sharp, memorable language. Everything is designed to build trust in seconds, not after a 20-slide deck.”

The campaign is supported by a national rollout that includes digital, social, programmatic video and out-of-home elements, including placements in key financial markets. POV Media is the buyer.

Bad Mktg has been working as Canoe’s fractional AOR since January of 2025, an agreement that Cabral says gives Canoe an added degree of agility and responsibility.