Canva’s recent billboard takeover across London has sparked conversations that are far beyond the streets. At its core, this campaign isn’t just a display of colourful graphics; it’s a masterclass in brand storytelling. We are in an era where attention spans are fractured but Canva has proven that even static billboards can deliver dynamic narratives that resonate.
By blending experiential branding with a fluid, evolving visual identity, the design platform transformed public spaces into moments of reflection, inspiration, and connection. Here’s a breakdown of how it worked and what your brand can learn.
When Billboards Become a Brand Story
Traditional advertising has long treated billboards as passive tools (space fillers meant for logos, taglines, and fleeting impressions). But in 2025, with consumers craving experiences and values over visuals alone, this approach is no longer enough.
Brand storytelling has redefined how we engage with outdoor advertising. It’s not just about being seen, but about being understood. Canva’s recent UK campaign turned everyday commutes into micro-interactions with the brand’s personality and purpose.
From typography that speaks to emotion to messages that sound like they’re coming from a trusted friend, these billboards are not only selling, they are telling. And the real value lies in these stories being told.
How Canva Used Brand Storytelling in Its Billboard Campaign
In spring 2025, Canva launched a striking campaign across major London sites, e.g Shoreditch High Street, Westfield Stratford, King’s Cross and more. The billboards featured bold, clean backgrounds with humorous, relatable, and emotionally intelligent copy like:
- “I changed one font and now I’m a designer.”
- “Love that for your brand. But also… no.”
- “Your brand is not your logo. (It’s the story you tell).”
These weren’t random quips. They were intentional narrative hooks, crafted for brand storytelling that reflects the brand’s mission: empowering everyday people to feel like designers. Canva shifted from product-heavy marketing and focused on what people feel when they use the platform: confidence, clarity, and creativity.
The main ingredient that made it click was that the billboards felt relatable and human. They captured the voice of Canva’s community, poked fun at design myths, and echoed the internal monologues of thousands of creators. In doing so, they didn’t just represent Canva, they embodied it.
As The Drum reports, the campaign was also a strategic move to establish brand awareness in a new market, but it did so by speaking the emotional language of its audience, not through features, but through the story.
Why Experiential Branding Still Works in 2025
There’s a reason experiential branding continues to thrive even in 2025. People remember how brands make them feel. And while pop-ups and activations often come to mind first, this campaign proves that even static formats like billboards can become experiential if the story is strong enough.
Canva didn’t need a physical booth or an interactive screen. The experience came from the moment of recognition and self-reflection that each billboard created. It’s an updated form of analogue intimacy, grounded in message clarity and emotional resonance.
According to Ad Age, brands that integrate storytelling into experiential marketing are more likely to gain lasting consumer trust. Canva leveraged this by transforming passive viewers into active participants. And it’s not just a trend. It’s a timeless principle
storytelling + interaction = memorability.
Visual Identity in Motion: What Makes Canva’s Campaign Stand Out
In branding, consistency matters, and so does evolution. Canva’s campaign struck a delicate balance. The visual identity, minimalist backgrounds, clean typefaces, and funny messages mirrored the Canva platform itself: simple, inviting, and empowering.
Each billboard followed a consistent visual rhythm, allowing the copy to shine. But it wasn’t a copy-paste job. The designs varied just enough to keep things interesting while reinforcing brand familiarity.
This is a lesson in applied visual identity. Canva didn’t need to splash its logo across every board. The tone, typography, and colours were the logo. And that’s when you know your branding is working.
The designs were also optimised for digital sharing. Street-level photos of the billboards trended across X, LinkedIn, and Instagram, which extended their life and reach far beyond the physical installations. That’s a double win: on-site impact + online amplification.
What Your Brand Can Learn From This Campaign
This campaign offers clear takeaways for brands serious about evolving their message in 2025:
1. Your Brand Voice Is Your Best Asset
People connect with personality, not polish. Canva’s billboards worked because they spoke like a real person. Refine your tone, but don’t sanitize it.
2. Storytelling Begins Before the Sale
Brand storytelling isn’t just for case studies or pitch decks. It’s how you frame your existence as a business. Start with what your audience believes, not what you sell.
3. Experiential Doesn’t Always Mean Expensive
Canva’s campaign wasn’t built on tech gimmicks; it was powered by emotional insight. You don’t need an AR booth to create an experience. Sometimes, the right words in the right place are enough.
4. Visual Identity Should Speak Without a Logo
When your audience can recognize your brand from the colours, layout, and language, without a logo, you’re doing it right.
5. Market Expansion Needs Message Relevance
Canva’s entry into the UK wasn’t product-led, it was culture-led. They studied what British creatives joke about, struggle with, and aspire to. That’s why the campaign hit home.
At Clarylife Global, we see this as a reminder that brand visibility doesn’t equal brand connection. To build a brand that lasts, you must tell stories that matter. Stories grounded in truth, emotion, and context.
Final Thoughts
Canva’s campaign is a clear reminder that storytelling isn’t tied to format. It’s about message, meaning, and timing. Even with something as static as a billboard, a well-articulated brand story can do the heavy lifting that builds awareness, affinity, and recall in one clean move.
What made this work wasn’t just clever copy. It was clarity of purpose, consistency in voice, and a willingness to say something real. That’s what separates brands that look good from those that feel relevant.
For brands trying to cut through noise today, the lesson is simple: get closer to your audience, not louder. Whether it’s through outdoor campaigns, digital experiences, or a full brand refresh, the story you choose to tell, and how honestly you tell it, will always be your strongest signal.
At Clarylife Global, we help brands sharpen that signal. Because when your story is clear, your brand becomes unmistakable. Reach out to us today