This Week in Canadian Marketing – May 8, 2026

Maple reinvents itself after 11 years, Science World gets a World Cup makeover, Samsung Ads expands its Canadian CTV targeting, and Endy doubles down on the WNBA. Here is what happened this week.

Maple Overhauls Its Brand After 11 Years

Maple is introducing its biggest brand evolution since launching in 2014. The Canadian digital health platform is shifting its positioning from access to care to agency over care, a subtle but meaningful distinction that reflects how fundamentally patient expectations have changed.

The new brand was built by Maple's in-house team in close partnership with One23West, who led rebrand strategy and identity development, with Epitaph and Craft Public Relations also involved. It's rolling out through a fully integrated omnichannel campaign launching this week.

The insight driving it: the category has lagged behind how Canadians actually want to experience health care. Maple is betting that putting agency, not just access, at the centre of its brand resonates with that shift.

Science World's Dome Is Becoming a Giant FIFA Soccer Ball This Summer

Vancouver's most recognizable landmark is getting a World Cup makeover. Science World will be transformed into a full-scale recreation of the adidas Trionda, the official match ball of FIFA World Cup 2026, wrapping the iconic 40-metre geodesic dome in 131 custom-shaped panels.

Installation begins May 6 and is expected to complete in early June. The Look Company, the Canadian-founded experiential display firm, is overseeing the build. Inside, the FIFA Museum's Soccer and Technology exhibition makes its North American debut on May 15, running through September 7.

The project is a collaboration between Destination Vancouver, Science World, the Province of B.C., the FIFA World Cup 2026 Vancouver Host Committee, and the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association.

Samsung Ads Canada Adds Nearly 400 Acxiom Segments to Its CTV Platform

Samsung Ads Canada has integrated Acxiom's demographic data into its Audience Solutions platform, adding close to 400 new segments spanning finance, automotive, CPG, retail, travel, technology, and more. The segments are available now for both pre-campaign planning and live activation across Samsung's connected TV ecosystem.

For Canadian media planners, it's a meaningful expansion of what's buildable on the platform, with more granular audience profiles and more targeting precision for brands that have historically found Canadian CTV data thinner than their U.S. counterparts. The Acxiom integration follows Samsung Ads Canada's recent Environics partnership, signalling a continued push to build out third-party data depth in the Canadian market.

AI Is Now Universal in Agencies, But Training and Client Clarity Are Lagging

New research from IPREX finds that AI adoption has effectively reached saturation: every agency surveyed is using it, and 93% of staff report confidence with the tools. But the data reveals a gap between adoption and maturity. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say they still need more AI training, and 61% have limited or no visibility into what their clients actually want when it comes to AI use.

More than half of respondents save at least three hours per week through AI use, and 64% report changes in the kind of work they are being asked to do. IPREX has released a free Agency AI Reality Check Toolkit alongside the findings at iprex.com/agency-ai-reality-check.

Paradigm Wins Kiddicare's Canadian Launch

Toronto-based integrated agency Paradigm has been selected to lead the Canadian market entry for Kiddicare, a New Zealand-founded baby care brand bringing its diaper range to more than 450 retail locations across the country. Paradigm is handling digital strategy, social media, influencer marketing, and PR, with a national campaign rolling out this month.

The win adds to Paradigm's existing track record in the baby and parenting category. The agency was also recently named to Report on Business magazine's 2026 Canada's Top Growing Women-Led Companies list.

Endy Returns as the WNBA's Official Canadian Sleep Partner

Endy is back as the Official Sleep Partner of the WNBA in Canada for a second year, and this time the campaign is built entirely around Canadian athletes. Aaliyah Edwards (Connecticut Sun), Kia Nurse (Toronto Tempo), and Laeticia Amihere (Golden State Valkyries) front a new athlete-led campaign launching this month, with a TV spot and three-part video series rolling out through the end of the season.

The throughline: sleep isn't recovery time, it's time invested. The creative focuses on the preparation and routine behind elite performance rather than the highlight reel, a frame that translates well beyond sports fans. The timing is well-chosen. TSN's 2026 WNBA Draft viewership was up 172% year-over-year, Canada accounts for nearly half of all international WNBA merchandise sales, and the league has seen four consecutive sold-out games played in Canada. The campaign was produced in-house by the Endy team.

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