The Canadian promo industry association has a new name and bilingual identity.

Announced at NATCON in Toronto, Promotional Product Professionals of Canada will now be known as Merch Canada | Promo Canada. The rebranding of the 70-year-old organisation also includes a new logo, colour scheme and brand strategy.

The new Merch Canada | Promo Canada bilingual logo depicts an open box with centre spark in refreshed brand colors.

“This brand was shaped by our members, not created for them,” said Jennifer Tarnopolski, chair of Merch Canada | Promo Canada and a Rebranding Task Force member. “It reflects the creativity, energy and strategic thinking we see across this industry every day. Now the opportunity is ours to bring it to life together.”

In the fall of 2025, the association’s Rebranding Task Force began a review of the PPPC brand and future positioning in the Canadian promo industry, and chose Toronto-based 7 Communications as the agency of record to help spearhead the initiative. The Task Force and 7 Communications then spent over 200 hours in discovery, interviews with members, workshops and research, which ultimately led to the reveal at NATCON.

“Our goal was never simply to change the name or logo,” said Paul Wieleba, chair of the Rebranding Task Force and past chair of PPPC. “We wanted to understand what our members needed from their national association and how we could better represent the industry they’ve helped build. Our long-standing history gave us a strong foundation, and member voices helped shape where we go next.”

The organisation also decided on a bilingual name to acknowledge French speakers in Canadian promo: “Promo Canada gives the association an equally distinct identity for its francophone community, which is an integral part of its national presence, not just a translation.”

The new logo, depicting an open box, points to the tangibility of branded products as well as Canada’s close-knit promo community. The spark in the middle “symbolizes the creativity, strategy and ideas that transform an object into something meaningful and memorable,” according to the association.

“Merch Canada | Promo Canada gives us a compelling, more contemporary platform to champion our members and the strategic value of branded merchandise,” said Jonathan N. Strauss, president and CEO of Merch Canada | Promo Canada. “Our role is to connect this industry, strengthen its credibility and equip our members to grow, adapt and lead. The new brand puts that vision front and center.”