2026 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

The auto insurance world is a crowded freeway of sameness – logos blur, messages merge, and promises feel more like fine print than action. Consumer cynicism runs high, and brand connection is nearly non-existent.

TD Insurance wasn’t content with being just another brand in the pack. They wanted to break through, build genuine connections with skeptical audiences, and most importantly – live their brand positioning: “Here when you need us.” The challenge was to show up in a way that went beyond awareness and became truly useful, memorable, and impossible to ignore.

According to a national survey, more than half of Canadians have damaged their vehicles in parking lots. It’s a universal frustration: small dents, big bills, high stress.

Millions of Canadians quietly dread poles and posts in tight urban parking spots – an everyday annoyance, a hidden epidemic of claims, and a situation begging for a creative solution.

The core insight: when navigating tight parking lots, even a small scratch feels like a big disaster – emotionally and financially. This was a moment for TD Insurance to show up in a truly ownable way with empathy, humor, and real utility.

Using TD Insurance’s claims data, the agency pinpointed the most accident-prone parking lots. Then they transformed them into something unexpected: TD Insurance “Pole Pillows” – giant, custom-made cushions designed to soften the blow (literally) and reinforce the brand’s positioning in the real world.

To ensure it was unmistakably TD protecting bumpers, they reimagined an existing TD icon: the Green Chair. Known as a symbol of comfort and reassurance, they adapted it to the context. Just as the Green Chair offers peace of mind in people’s lives, their bright-green “Pole Pillows” offered protection and comfort where Canadians least expected it.

These weren’t just ads. They were functional solutions. They didn’t just say “we’ve got you.” They showed it.

The launch started with influencer-led teases: creators posted footage of mysterious green pillows appearing in parking lots, sparking curiosity and speculation that eventually revealed TD Insurance was responsible for the solution.

Canadians were invited to nominate dangerous parking lots for the next Pole Pillow installation, turning the campaign into a community-led initiative. The brand’s call to action was supported through paid and owned channels, from OLV to digital OOH and social content.

“Pole Pillows” became a cultural moment, covered nationally by media and widely celebrated online, generating 100% positive sentiment and 100% key message pull-through. Positioned in high-risk spots, they prevented actual damage – many cars bumped them repeatedly, requiring cleaning and resetting. That’s real-world protection. That’s brand purpose, made physical.

Most importantly, the campaign delivered tangible business results. It garnered a 29% increase in insurance quotes and 34% increase in sales.

“Pole Pillows” reimagined a brand icon to defy category convention, and rather than selling insurance, it helped protect. This simple act of protection blurred the line between message and medium, proving insurance could be surprising, useful, and human, all in one stroke.

Credits

"- Client: Maja Neable, SVP CMO Canada; Alan Wen, VP Marketing; Jayne Wilkinson, AVP Marketing; Rachel Fyfe, Sr Marketing Manager; Kim Snow, Marketing Manager; Amber Snider, Digital Marketing Manager
- Accounts: Lorri MacDonald, Managing Director, Erika Ymana Account Executive, Dimple Sahajwalla, Account Supervisor
- Creative: Josh Diamond, President; Peter Ignazi, CCO; Darryl Graham, VP CD; Megan Radisa, Sr Copywriter; Brenna Whyte, Director Production Design
- Strategy: Lori Davison, CSO
- Influencer: Julie Keith, Director, Influencer; Manasi Sohoni, Strategy, Influencer
- Production (producer): Mark Graham, Head of Production; Adam Tinker, Executive Director, Experiences; Lindsey Barnett, Sr Producer, Experiences; Serena Harding, Producer
- Editor: Mike Stephenson
- Production Company: PNH
- Music/Sound Design: OSO
- VFX: UPP (Universal Production Partners)
- PR: Agnostic PR"