The best branding agencies in Toronto

Toronto’s branding scene spans two worlds: cultural institutions with long histories and consumer brands on every grocery shelf in Canada. Many studios here also work in French and English, which matters for any brand selling across the country. These six are based in Toronto and have identity work you can check.

See the 6 agencies Updated 2026

Quick list

#	Agency	Known for	Best for
1	Bruce Mau Design	Identity systems built for change	Institutions and global companies reinventing themselves
2	Blok Design	Crafted, art-led identities	Hospitality, retail and design-led companies
3	Underline Studio	Editorial thinking applied to brands	Arts, culture and education
4	Pigeon Brands	Packaging and brand renovation at scale	Grocery and consumer packaged goods
5	Hambly & Woolley	Clear brand systems and toolkits	Professional services and associations
6	Jacknife	Naming and identity across many touchpoints	Mid-size companies, sports teams and new brands

1. Bruce Mau Design

Website: brucemaudesign.com
Location: Toronto (King Street East), with an office in New York
Guides: Visual Identity Design
Brand Experience & Environments
Consumer & DTC
Signature project: National Ballet of Canada rebrand (2024)

Bruce Mau founded the studio in Toronto in 1985, and it still carries his name. Its 2024 rebrand of the National Ballet of Canada was the company’s first in nearly 20 years, timed to its 75th anniversary and built to feel as alive as the dancers. BMD also built Sonos a generative identity over a five-year relationship and branded the Toronto Carpet Factory redevelopment, from identity to wayfinding. The studio designs identities, signage and spaces together.

Clients: National Ballet of Canada, Sonos, Toronto Carpet Factory, ASICS
How they work: Research, brand strategy, identity, wayfinding and environments
Budget signal: Upper mid-market to enterprise
Skip if: You need a quick logo refresh. BMD’s projects start with deep research.

Last verified 2026

2. Blok Design

Website: blokdesign.com
Location: Toronto
Guides: Hospitality, Food & Beverage
Visual Identity Design
Professional Services
Signature project: Summerhill Market identity

Blok Design, founded and led by creative director Vanessa Eckstein, makes identities that feel closer to art than to corporate design. It branded Toronto grocer Summerhill Market and architecture firm Superkül, and designed the MOCA Toronto Award, which won silver at the ADCC Awards. Before settling in Toronto the studio spent years working from Mexico City, and its work moves easily between print, objects and space.

Clients: Summerhill Market, Superkül, MOCA Toronto, Roots Air
How they work: Brand strategy, identity, packaging and environments
Budget signal: Mid-market to upper mid-market
Skip if: You need a high-volume digital marketing partner. Blok is a craft-led studio.

Last verified 2026

3. Underline Studio

Website: underlinestudio.com
Location: Toronto
Guides: Education & EdTech
Visual Identity Design
Brand Experience & Environments
Signature project: Toronto Symphony Orchestra brand system

Underline Studio was founded in 2005 and brings an editorial mindset to branding: clear hierarchy, strong typography and a story told across many pieces. Its portfolio includes brand systems for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Massey Hall, the National Gallery of Canada and the McMaster Museum of Art. It has also worked with YouTube, Google and the University of Toronto.

Clients: Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Massey Hall, National Gallery of Canada, University of Toronto
How they work: Brand strategy, identity, publications and wayfinding
Budget signal: Mid-market
Skip if: You’re launching a consumer product that needs packaging and ads. Underline’s strength is culture and education.

Last verified 2026

4. Pigeon Brands

Website: pigeonbrands.com
Location: Toronto, with an office in Montreal
Guides: Consumer & DTC
Hospitality, Food & Beverage
Brand Architecture
Signature project: Kraft Dinner to KD rebrand

Pigeon has been building Canadian consumer brands since the late 1970s, and its biggest projects are on every grocery shelf. Its Toronto and Montreal teams spent about a year with Kraft turning Kraft Dinner into KD, and it redesigned Metro’s Irresistible private label across more than 1,300 products. It has also rebranded Hershey’s Chipits and Pot of Gold. Working in English and French is built in.

Clients: Kraft (KD), Metro, Hershey’s Chipits, Pot of Gold
How they work: Brand strategy, packaging, brand architecture and production
Budget signal: Upper mid-market to enterprise
Skip if: You’re a B2B or tech company. Pigeon’s expertise is the grocery aisle.

Last verified 2026

5. Hambly & Woolley

Website: hamblywoolley.com
Location: Toronto
Guides: Professional Services
Brand Architecture
Education & EdTech
Signature project: Caseware brand system

Hambly & Woolley builds brand systems that large, busy organizations can actually use day to day. For accounting software company Caseware it built the brand system and a toolkit to run it, and it has done similar work for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, as well as the website for Osgoode Hall Law School. Guidelines are central to the work, so internal teams can apply the brand without calling the studio every time.

Clients: Caseware, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Osgoode Hall Law School
How they work: Brand identity systems, toolkits, guidelines and report design
Budget signal: Mid-market
Skip if: You want an expressive, trend-driven identity. Hambly & Woolley designs for clarity.

Last verified 2026

6. Jacknife

Website: jacknife.ca
Location: Toronto (Richmond Street West)
Guides: Brand Architecture
Launch Branding
Consumer & DTC
Signature project: Element Event Solutions naming and rebrand

Jacknife was formed in 2013 when three Toronto studios merged. When Chair-Man Mills, a business more than a century old, brought nine distinct brands together, Jacknife built the brand architecture, named the new group Element Event Solutions and carried the identity onto uniforms and vehicles. It also created cannabis brand RIFF from name to packaging, and has worked for the Toronto Marlies and Toronto FC.

Clients: Element Event Solutions, RIFF, Toronto Marlies, Toronto FC, TMU Athletics
How they work: Brand strategy, naming, architecture, identity and packaging
Budget signal: Mid-market
Skip if: You need an international team across many countries. Jacknife’s base is Toronto and Canada.

Last verified 2026

Hiring a branding agency in Toronto

Ask about French.
Brands sold across Canada need to work in English and French. Some Toronto studios have Montreal teams; others partner with translators.
Culture and grocery are both strong.
Toronto has deep experience in arts institutions and in consumer packaging. Pick the studio whose portfolio matches your world.
Check US experience if you’re crossing the border.
Several studios here work for US clients. Ask how they handle US market research and naming checks.