This is who we are

GWP Brand Engineering is a Canadian
company founded in 1996.

Our motto is Everything is strategic.

We believe consumers, or as we at GWP call them – people – have a mostly rational relationship with what your product does, but can have a very emotional relationship with your motives for making it. Our job is to uncover what makes your brand great rationally and emotionally.

Then tell stories.

Want to meet this guy? Here’s how he describes himself on LinkedIn.

“I’d rather tell you about me over a meal in a bistro but here goes. My journey to this profile is one of creating brands, refreshing brands and connecting brands. I'm attracted to people with perverse resolve and maverick brilliance. They’re called founders. I'm a predator of bon mots and good ideas. Can you picture the kind of person I am yet? No? Let me keep going then. I have an outgoing personality and talk over everyone around me, but, sure, let's go with 'blow Hard.' I didn't write a childhood letter to Enzo Ferrari or Bobby Hull. Instead, I fished in the Adriatic using canned hot dogs as bait, lived in four countries before turning twelve and never actually caught a fish until I was in my twenties. (I guess each of us has a characteristic way of showing up in the world.) The kindest thing someone can do for me is to say something original. Let's connect and explore the uncharted territories of ideas and inspiration to grow your business together. Oh and, was this any help?”

For Philippe Garneau, every guy is just some guy.

This is who Philippe Garneau, co-founder of GWP Brand Engineering is.

Philippe and GWP helped brand engineer the first ever virtual bank on the planet ING DIRECT and creative directed all its communications for over 13 years—both in Canada and in the U.S. Philippe and GWP launched Expedia.ca and stewarded the brand for over a decade. In 2007 when the CBC needed to manage its brand during the employee lock-out Philippe’s pen was behind their communications. Philippe gave Buckley’s cough syrup a taste of what it feels like to be Canada’s best-selling cough syrup. In 2009 GWP named, positioned and launched Intact Insurance, Canada’s largest home and auto insurer. In 2016 Philippe brand engineered Borrowell.com one of Canada’s leading Fintechs.

Philippe is often sought as a commentator on a broad range of marketing topics. In his limited spare time, Philippe has been a guest lecturer at Canadian colleges and universities and taught advertising copywriting for two years at OCAD University in Toronto. He is currently on the board of the Canadian Chiropractic Research

Milestones

1996

We created the first-ever ING DIRECT bank on the planet. Within 10 years ING was the #81 most valuable brand on the planet.
1997

A flight patch we designed for Canada’s first astronaut flew aboard the space shuttle Endeavour.
2001

We launched Expedia.ca taking it to profitability within 2 years and making it the most successful Expedia brand anywhere.
2008

We turned ING Insurance into Intact Insurance which is now one of the ten largest insurance companies on the planet.
2009

The multi award winning business book “The Orange Code, how ING Direct succeeded by being a rebel with a cause” codified how GWP and ING Direct made retail banking history.
2014

We launched Borrowell. By 2020 it was #64 on the the Globe and Mail 100 Top Growing companies with three year revenue growth of 809%.
2021

We engineered and launched the Wilder Institute brand. A global conservation organization. In 2024 it tabled a whole-of-society 10 year action plan, the largest biodiversity restoration and species recovery plan in Canadian history.

**What’s our forte, our greatest strength?**

Our skill for engineering voluntary, lasting, consumer engagement.

Let’s pause on the word ‘voluntary’. It was once thought that advertising was about colonizing the consumer’s mind, ambushing their thoughts and somehow making them do something they didn’t want to. Thank goodness this moment in advertising has passed.

When we say ‘voluntary engagement’ we are setting the bar much higher. Our branding work is about earning the loyalty and love of the customer by fitting into their lives, by engaging them on an emotional level. What can we say, it’s a calling.

What people are saying bout GWP

Richard Stursberg Executive Vice President at CBC

“In 1995, when the cable television industry was facing an unprecedented crisis, I reached out to GWP to help restore our damaged brand. Their work was so compelling that I worked with them again when I ran CANCOM, the satellite TV company, and again when I ran Telefilm, the film financing company and again when I ran the CBC’s english services.
Nuff said?”
Louis Gagnon President of Canadian Operations at ING Direct

Louis Gagnon joined what would become Intact just in time for ING to sell it in 2009. His timing could not have been worse. “It was over Christmas and New Year’s during the worst year of the past 50,” he says of making the risky move in the midst of a global financial crisis. But a careful values-based rebrand—integrity, respect and generosity were among the values—hit all the right notes just when people needed them most. “Ten years later, we’re the top brand of personal insurance in the country.”
What Louis Gagnon said about our work together creating Intact Insurance. “You’ve been an inspiration and a guiding light…It was a fun time.”
Jim Kelly COO of ING DIRECT USA (Jan 2007 to Feb 2012)

“Philippe Garneau is a Creative Rock Star. He pushes clients to think beyond their category boundaries and then guides them to their brand sweet spot.”
Patricia Wilkinson-Bizjak VP of Corporate Affairs and Communications at OTIP

I presented (The OTIP story) to the OTIP Board last Wednesday, and it is not only approved, but THEY LOVED IT. Seriously, our biggest critic went on and on and on about how amazing it was, how great it connected with members, how we listened to everything they said and on and on and on. Seriously, THAT NEVER HAPPENS. They even wanted me to pass my thanks along to ‘the amazing consultant we used’ to help in the creation of the story.
Stewart Morris SellOff Vacations

I don’t think there’s a morning when Phillipe hasn’t thought about SellOffVacations before he’s finished his first cappuccino. I don’t think we’ve ever sent him a brief that hasn’t consumed GWP for days. I know for sure, that GWP’s response to our brief always generates the exact same reaction… I want to send it to everyone to show off the brilliance. The brilliance might be strategic or the actual creative that flows out of the creative insights. Regardless, it’s always work I’m super proud of. Over the years, many many times I’ve sent other agencies back to do a rework their strategies and creative. I thought that’s just how the job gets done. GWP’s first crack success rate verges on 100%.
Proof’s in the pudding – Bringing on GWP coincides with impressive consistent growth, which is absolutely consistent with what we delivered together at Expedia years ago. Endless magic.
John Hillis Zag Bank

“We’ve all been there. You want to count on your agency partner to come through for you – to understand your business – to develop new insights, perspectives and strategies that will drive your business forward. And unfortunately, many times, we have been let down. But that’s why I trust Philippe and his team. They always come through. With something that is different and valuable (and I have worked with them on a number of different businesses). You leave a meeting with them thinking – “They get it. They have my back. They care if this works.” And isn’t that what we all need in an agency partner?”
Andrew Graham Co Founder of Borrowell

“Philippe was recommended to me as Canada’s leading expert on financial services branding. He’s lived up to the reputation and has been a great partner for our business. He and the team at Brand Engineering have brought strong insight and execution to Borrowell’s marketing. They understand at a deep level how Canadians think about financial services, and are able to translate this insight into compelling messaging. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Philippe and the Brand Engineering team.”
Steven Uster Co-Founder & CEO at FundThrough

“Philippe and his team spent a lot of time getting to know our business, understanding our market and speaking with our clients to understand the core need we are filling. Despite our start-up stage and size, they treated us as if we were their most important client. They understood how we fit in the competitive landscape and came up with some brilliant branding and positioning ideas, many of which formed the base that we still use today. They went way beyond just a branding project though, they truly cared about our business and found ways to add value, through partner and investor introductions and new creative ideas, even after their engagement officially ended.”
Sean Shannon VP and Managing Director at Expedia for Canada, Latin America and Australia/New Zealand (Nov 2009 to Aug 2015)

“Philippe is an advertising legend. That is said about many people in the ad industry and rarely true. But it is true for Philippe who has delivered business building work for his clients over many decades, creating many famous brands as a result. I would know as a key client while at Expedia. Look up his portfolio and ask yourself if anyone can compare. He is also an excellent listener and truly embraces feedback. And he can turn a phrase very well.”
Mark Deep ING DIRECT VP and CMO at ING Direct 2005 to 2009) VP of marketing and Head of Global Marketing at D+H (2013 to 2015)

“Philippe and his team are extremely talented. They helped to create and launch the ING Direct brand in Canada. Working with his brilliantly creative mind was a huge asset when we reinvigorated the ING Direct brand in Canada. From National Save Your Money Day to naming new products like Streetwise Funds, he was a great partner to bring our vision to life creatively and he really was a key architect of our true brand ambition and values that Clients embraced so enthusiastically. More recently, we hired Philippe and team again to revamp and relaunch the D+H brand to the fintech world globally. Again, he jumped in and helped discover the brand essence and created a very unique and compelling strategic creative platform. Always a pleasure to work with and job well done. Bravo!”
Tania Goodine EVP of Strategy & Innovation at Libro Credit Union Member of Leadership Team at Credit Unions of Ontario (2015)

“Philippe and his team supported the development of a brand campaign to increase awareness and relevance of credit unions in the competitive Ontario marketplace. To the project’s benefit, they helped navigate a complex and informal network of independent credit unions to a common plan. Philippe’s work is strategically strong and clear, and he and his team work effectively to build consensus and deliver results for the group.”
Ronda Parkes Chief Brand Officer at Canadian Chiropractic Association

“From coast to coast our stakeholders response to the visualization of our brand positioning by GWP was palpable. There was this electricity in the air, everyone was thinking, they did it, they actually cut out the crap and got to the core of the professions value. I was really proud of the work in that meeting. It was a great experience led by research and creative insights that are second to none.”
Robin Monniere Vice President of Brand Development and Customer Experience at Intact (2016-2020)

“Working with Philippe and his team is a blast. When exchanging on our brand DNA and discussing what we wanted to do with it so it can blossom and become one of the most meaningful brand in our industry, the connection with Philippe was immediate. His enthusiasm is contagious and his faculty to quickly understand your brand and how it can evolve is amazing. From extensive and demanding brand positioning work to quicker products brainstorming, Philippe and his team had shown passion, energy and exemplary work ethics.”
Dana Ceponis Executive Director of Corporate Marketing at Delta (1993 to 2014)

“GWP Brand Engineering is a highly strategic and creatively talented team. For many years the AOR for Delta Hotels & Resorts, GWP played an integral role in developing the plan for our brand relaunch. A fully integrated branding campaign developed by GWP precisely depicted the essence of our brand and creative execution touched the heart of our customers as well as our employees. A valued relationship spanning several years and many campaigns.”
Allan Cosman Former President and CEO at Ferrero Canada

“Over a 15 plus year relationship, GWP was a business partner to Ferrero Canada of the highest quality. Integrity of advice, commitment to deliver a high quality product, teamwork and collaboration were hallmarks of the agency. These attributes inspired confidence and trust which led to consistently high quality business results.”
Fotios Saratsiotis President at Pascal Financial (March 2019 to August 2020)

“Working with a branding partner that knows the financial services industry was key for us. Through their inquisitive approach the GWP team met with all the management team and peeled away the layers of industry conditioning, unearthing insights and bringing to the surface the company’s true nature. A eureka moment! In the early stages of the pandemic we bundled a care package of technology for financial advisors and reached out to GWP to name it and produce copy for our website. The analysis and thought that went into this project was incredible. This was outside of their mandate! That’s what you call a real partner.”
Feisal Keshavjee CEO for Radiology Consultants Associated at Mayfair Diagnostics (2011 to 2014)

“Philippe Garneau did wonders for our branding at the radiology practice. We’ve always threatened to work together again some day. He’s got such a creative mind but even better, has probably forgotten more about branding then even some of the big boutique firms currently know!”
Sue Britton CEO & Founder at FinTech Growth Syndicate

“There is nothing more exciting than experiencing Philippe and his team engineer your brand. The passion is palpable, and the outcomes for our company were brilliant. We have referred Brand Engineering to many firms who feel equally as pleased with their work. They are the real thing.”
Rob Annan President and CEO at Genome Canada

“If you are looking for radical clarity, a strategic lens, focused results and means to boost your branding and marketing initiatives, Phillipe and his team at GWP Brand Engineering should be at the top of your list. Philippe truly embodies an ‘out-of-the-box’ approach to creativity that is rare to find – a unique blend of passion, ideas, and energy that will take you on a journey from beginning to end. On a number of projects, Philippe managed to bring together diverse stakeholder perspectives into cohesive products that felt truly collaborative in tone. GWP’s ability to “get it” and get on the same wavelength with us is remarkable. We couldn’t be more happy with the work of GWP Brand Engineering team, and are always thrilled with how they bring the full force of their know-how and endless charms to whatever they do.”