BDC: Here to support the ambitions of Canadian entrepreneurs
October 31, 2022 (Montreal) – Inspired by its new raison d’être, BDC—the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs—intends to fulfill its role as a development bank even more ambitiously over the next few years. Creative agency Cossette was mandated with translating their mission into an elevated brand platform, a new tagline and a powerful campaign that marks a new chapter in how BDC contributes to the success of SMEs and the Canadian economy.
In addition to highlighting their tried-and-true financing solutions, advisory services and venture capital investment approach, BDC is doing more to expand the scope of its activities and support more entrepreneurs in their development. The bank will create a series of concrete and innovative measures to foster Canadian entrepreneurs’ growth, particularly in the areas of productivity, diversity and inclusion, and the fight against climate change.
“In the coming years, BDC will endeavour to pave the way for even more Canadian entrepreneurs so they have the tools to tackle today’s greatest challenges—and we wanted to focus in particular on underserved business owners. We were inspired by our new vision and felt it was important to communicate our commitment through an updated brand expression and an ad platform that sets the tone for our ambitions,” said Annie Marsolais, Chief Marketing Officer at BDC.
To bring this vision to life, Cossette and BDC began by working together to enhance its brand. Its new tagline, “The bank of ambitions,” solidifies BDC’s positioning as a financial institution whose mission is to not only support the success of an increasing number of entrepreneurs, but also maximize their contributions to stimulate the Canadian economy.
“This elevated brand is carried by an inspiring purpose and sends the message that BDC is more committed than ever,” said Hugo Fournier, Senior Director, Strategy Lead at Cossette. “‘The bank of ambitions’ is a credible and convincing new tagline because it stems from a clear vision and the active role that BDC tangibly plays in supporting entrepreneurs.”
Cossette also created an integrated campaign that revolves around the statement “We’re on it.” The ads give prominence to BDC’s ambitions, as well as to the story of entrepreneurs dealing with the major challenges of our times. The TV spots play on classic metaphors like “breaking the glass ceiling” or “breaking down doors” that many entrepreneurs must contend with and that BDC is invested in helping them with. Other messages will be rolled out on the radio and online.
“We went beyond the usual advertising tropes for the banking industry in order for BDC to stand out,” said Anik Ouellet, Creative Director at Cossette. “Ambition comes with a healthy dose of confidence and audacity—that’s what we wanted to convey with this campaign.”
About BDC
As Canada’s bank for entrepreneurs, BDC is a partner of choice for all entrepreneurs looking to access the financing and advice they need to build their businesses and tackle the big challenges of our time. Our investment arm, BDC Capital, offers a wide range of risk capital solutions to help grow the country’s most innovative firms. We are one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. For more information on BDC’s products and services and to consult free tools, templates and articles, visit bdc.ca or join BDC on social media.
—30—