Special Olympics Canada and Grey Canada Launch “Joy Is Gold,” a New National Brand Platform
National campaign celebrates the joy of inclusion, supported by major media partners and a first-of-its-kind creative platform
TORONTO, ON, September 25, 2026 – Special Olympics Canada today unveiled Joy Is Gold, a new national brand platform created in partnership with Grey Canada that aims to transform how Canadians understand and connect with the Special Olympics movement.
More than a fundraising campaign or awareness initiative, Joy Is Gold is a long-term creative platform designed to tell the full story of Special Olympics Canada: not only sport, but also confidence, belonging, leadership, health, advocacy, friendship and community.
At the heart of the campaign is a simple insight: if you’ve ever experienced Special Olympics, you’ve felt it. That unmistakable surge of joy that spreads through athletes, families, coaches, volunteers and entire communities. It’s difficult to describe, but impossible to miss. Joy Is Gold gives that feeling a name, a visual identity and a platform capable of carrying the movement forward for years to come.
“Too many Canadians know our name, but not our impact,” said Sarah Barker, Vice President, Brand, Marketing & Communications, Special Olympics Canada. “Joy Is Gold allows us to tell a much bigger story. It helps Canadians see that Special Olympics creates confidence, connection, friendship, better health and life-changing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most importantly, it invites Canadians to feel that impact for themselves.”
Created by Grey Canada, Special Olympics’ creative partner and a WPP agency, the campaign brings that feeling to life through bursts of shimmering gold confetti, appearing in the moments when joy becomes impossible to contain. The hero film captures athletes, supporters, volunteers and everyday Canadians transformed by the experience of Special Olympics — turning that joy into something visible, shared and impossible to miss.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the experience of creating this campaign alongside Special Olympics Canada and all of our partners,” said Fernando Hernandez, Chief Creative Officer, Grey Canada. “Everyone who has spent time within the Special Olympics community knows there’s a feeling that’s difficult to put into words — the love, the care, the determination and, above all, the joy. Our hope is that Joy Is Gold gives people even a glimpse of that feeling. This work was made possible by so many people who gave it their time, talent and heart, and we’re humbled to have been part of it.”
Beginning September 25, Canadians will encounter Joy Is Gold across broadcast, newspaper, social, out-of-home and public relations. The campaign will be amplified through donated and paid media, national storytelling initiatives and athlete ambassadors. Further strengthening the campaign’s earned and social reach, Special Olympics Canada’s Champions Network of athletes, media personalities, influencers and advocates will share their own moments of joy.
In a move that extends the campaign from awareness to participation, Special Olympics Canada has partnered with Calgary-based apparel brand Local Laundry on a limited-edition Joy Is Gold merchandise collection. The collaboration transforms the platform’s core creative idea into wearable advocacy, allowing supporters to engage with the brand beyond media impressions and campaign moments.
“Joy is contagious,” added Barker. “Our goal is simple: make Joy Is Gold impossible to miss. Because when Canadians experience the joy at the heart of Special Olympics, they become supporters, advocates and champions for inclusion.”