Roaring Back: Inside Publicis Toronto’s 2-Year Revival

Two years ago, few knew what Publicis Toronto’s future would look like. But after a bold leadership overhaul in late 2023, the agency has roared back with new energy, sharper work, and a renewed local reputation.

The changes saw chief creative officer Joanna Monteiro return to Brazil, and executive creative director Vini Dalvi step in to take her place. Mary Chambers joined as chief strategy officer, and Bobby Malhotra and Serene Gaspar became the agency’s first dedicated managing directors.

It was a bold set of moves. At the time, there was industry speculation about what this would mean for the network’s key Canadian office. However, all of this was precisely calculated – part of president Brett McIntosh’s endeavour to build a new leadership strategy for Publicis Toronto centred around ambition, creative transformation, ownership, and elevated work.

From January 2024 onward, Publicis Toronto had a renewed sense of focus, clarity and creativity. The structure had improved, the talent was there, and now there was the freedom to shape the work according to this new vision – first demonstrated with the 2025 batch of creative. Brighter, bolder and sharper than before, the agency would go on to have its best-ever year at Cannes, shortlisted eight times, and winning its first-ever Lion for Rogers’ ‘Wildfire Watchtowers’.

For Vini, while the hardware was exciting, this triumph was a sign of something bigger. Testament to Brett’s 2023 strategy, it represented Publicis Toronto declaring the type of work it wanted to be known for – a “strong first step” which, he believes, everyone is hungry for more of.

“It’s an exciting time, because it signals the progress we’re making as an agency,” the CCO says. “But, at the same time, it feels like we’re still at the very beginning. Publicis Toronto is going through a creative transformation, and this is just the first visible step. These wins mark a proud moment, but they’re not the end. They’re a sign that we’re heading in the right direction.”

The direction in question? “We’ve set our sights on becoming the most creative agency in Canada over the next few years,” he continues. “That means consistently making famous work that works. Awards are part of that, but they’re a byproduct. The real win lies in the kind of creative work that drives results and earns attention.”

Tackling a Turnaround

Vini’s resumé shows that the seasoned creative, boasting experience with the likes of Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola, has chosen this endeavour at Publicis Toronto by design. Having worked across an assortment of the world’s top agencies, such as Le Pub Milan, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, and Wieden+Kennedy, his elevation to CCO represented the chance to not only revitalise the local offering, but apply valuable lessons learned across his journey.

“For most of my career, I’ve worked on brands that lead their categories and lead creatively, and that’s not a coincidence,” he explains. “Creative excellence walks side by side with business success. I genuinely believe there is no trade-off between creative excellence and effectiveness, and we’re lucky to have clients like Canadian Tire, Rogers and Heineken, among others, who are leaning into that ambition with us. They’ve been key partners in redefining the kind of work this agency is becoming known for.”

This guiding ethos becomes clear when looking at Vini’s favourite projects since taking over. The first, DQ Canada’s out-of-home activation, ‘Blizzard Banks’, saw the agency take the Blizzard – an item which doesn’t typically sell well in actual blizzard season – and craft a responsive campaign when the biggest snowstorm in years hit the country. Proving Publicis Toronto’s ability to play in the reactive advertising space, as well as drive results both commercially and culturally, this was a win across the board, especially because it was brought to life jointly by the creative and sponsorship and events teams, making it a “cross-capability win.”

Another highlight is a more complete body of work, created on behalf of Rogers. One of the largest, most storied brands in Canada, moving its needle creatively and commercially is always a massive undertaking, but across a single year, the agency did just this, releasing an assortment of clever and sometimes craft-heavy campaigns, driving meaningful results in the process.

“It’s so easy to lose sight of the most valuable thing: the work,” he says, reflecting on this portfolio. “So many things get in the way, and it takes discipline to constantly ask, ‘What’s the best decision for the work?’ and go from there. It’s like cooking risotto; if you take your eye off it or get distracted, it overcooks. Or worse, you lose it completely.”

For this reason, across the past year, the entire Toronto leadership team has coalesced around this sentiment. “The leadership team we’ve built shares the belief that the most creative ideas are the most effective, and that’s what’s shaping everything we do,” he emphasises. “We believe creative work is the most effective kind of work, especially now. If your brand doesn’t stand out in a world of shrinking attention spans, it gets lost. We want to make work that’s bold, culturally relevant, and strategically sharp. Not just for the sake of being ‘creative’, but because that’s what actually works.”

Hope for the Future

While progress is evident, the team isn’t ready to settle. Especially at a time where adland is undergoing drastic transformation, driven by mergers, acquisitions and the arrival of new technologies, according to Vini, Publicis Toronto must continue in its pursuit to become something different.

“With so many agencies either folding or consolidating, we want Publicis to be on the radar for people who want to make bold, culturally-relevant work for some of Canada’s most iconic brands, and many of the world’s biggest ones too,” he explains. “And now, as part of the Leo constellation, I also see a huge opportunity to integrate Publicis Toronto more closely with the global network.”

For Vini, working again with global CCO Marco Venturelli is exciting, recalling their time at Le Pub Milan producing global campaigns for Heineken. Moreover, the same focus and resourcing which aided Publicis Conseil in winning two consecutive Agency of the Year awards at Cannes is now within reach in Canada.

“Our goal is to bring that same level of ambition and consistency to Canada,” he continues. “We want to keep using creativity as a force that propels and transforms business.”

Of course, there will be some differences between the European and Canadian offerings – by virtue of personnel and market – but for Vini, that’s by no means a bad thing. Recognising Publicis Toronto’s heritage, which started via Andrew Bruce and Duncan Bruce, he highlights that this aforementioned emphasis on strong creativity has been embedded into the agency’s very DNA from the beginning.

Specifically, while the original duo hold new roles and titles today, it’s their foundational work and spirit which have played a critical role in the agency’s creative renaissance, and, more importantly, is guiding Vini’s pursuit of the future.

“What we’re doing now is pushing that DNA even further,” he says. “We’re entering a new phase. The work we’re making is setting a different tone, not just for Publicis in Toronto, but in how we’re being recognised creatively on the global stage. That recognition comes from belief in the work, from pushing boundaries, and from an agency-wide drive to raise the bar.”

With the leadership structure in place, a new creative approach delivering results, some awards under the belt, and an underlying ethos to guide everything, how will this momentum be maintained? For Vini, the answer is simple: it’s time to officially double down… on everything.

“Our job is to help every client reach their creative potential,” he finishes. “Too many agencies pitch something bold once, and if it doesn’t sell, they move on to the ‘creative’ clients. That’s a mistake.

“We believe it’s on us to help every client level up. If they don’t buy the work, maybe we didn’t connect it clearly enough to their business. That’s our responsibility. Their goals, their problems, their success – it has to matter to us too. We meet clients where they are, define what progress looks like, and work towards it. It’s not about making anyone uncomfortable. It’s about pushing just enough to move things forward. That’s how we build lasting change: not one-offs, but momentum.”