IKEA Canada, PIGEON, and Humber Polytechnic Champion Next-Gen Creatives

Creative agency PIGEON, in partnership with IKEA Canada, has once again joined forces with students from Humber Polytechnic’s Advertising Art Direction and Copywriting postgraduate programs for the third annual NEXT Agency student case competition. This year’s challenge invited students to design a gen z focused' Back-to-School' campaign developed by their generation, for their generation.

Held on February 21 at Humber’s downtown Toronto campus, the competition invited students to respond to a real-world brief delivered by PIGEON and IKEA Canada’s marketing team. The ask? Create a campaign that resonates with gen z during the critical 'Back-to-School' shopping season, drawing from personal insights and lived experiences.

The challenge reflects real market dynamics. According to the IKEA Life at Home report, Canadians — especially students — are navigating rising costs for essentials like food, housing, and school supplies. gen z, however, brings a distinct perspective to the table: one shaped by aesthetics, social media influence, and a nuanced understanding of value versus cost. This made them the ideal audience to answer the brief.

“At IKEA, we are committed to engaging with the communities we serve. Partnering with PIGEON and Humber Polytechnic on this initiative Is always a pleasure,” said Jonelle Ricketts, head of marketing, IKEA Canada. “Every year, we see the next generation of creatives bring forward fresh, personal, and often surprising thinking. This year was no exception.”

Organised by Humber’s NEXT Student Agency, the competition is part of the school’s broader mission to offer career-building experiences through live client work. Teams pitched their campaigns to panellists from IKEA Canada and PIGEON, including:

• Jonelle Rickett, country marketing manager, IKEA Canada

• Patrick Dennis, marketing communications specialist, IKEA Canada

• De’ana Torresen, head of loyalty, IKEA Canada

• Carlo Franco, marketing performance leader, IKEA Canada

• Jean-François Béliveau, 360 creative director, PIGEON

• Martin Carrière, head of client services, PIGEON

“It’s been rewarding to come back over the last few years to support the next generation,” said Jean François Beliveau, 360 Creative Director, PIGEON. “It’s about giving students a real-world experience, offering advice we wish we had, and helping prepare them for the industry they’re about to enter”.

This year’s winning concept, 'IKEA Adapts to You', by students Kainat Ahmad and Gobind Bagga, captured the transitional nature of life in your twenties—positioning IKEA as a brand that evolves with its customers through every stage of growth.

When reflecting on their experience, Kainat said, "IKEA is one of my favourite brands. To get to work on a campaign and present it to IKEA clients was amazing." And Gobind said "the brief was written in a way that we could draw on our own personal experiences, which made working on this campaign a lot of fun."

Mary Secord, program coordinator, Humber Advertising Copywriting at Humber Polytechnic, underscored the invaluable experience gained through real client briefs.id “This is our third year collaborating with Pigeon and IKEA. The feedback and encouragement the clients and the agency provide the students is priceless. Such a rewarding experience for everyone.”

This ongoing collaboration between PIGEON, IKEA Canada, and Humber Polytechnic reinforces a shared commitment to creative excellence and nurturing the next generation of industry talent.