Top 5 Canadian Brands that Rocked the World

As the country rallies to celebrate Canadian brands, what better way for a designer to participate than to acknowledge those brands that have made a global impact in one way or another—the Canadian brands that have defined our lifestyle, that we have an emotional connection with—those homegrown brands that have enriched our lives, remained Canadian and rocked the world.

Cirque du Soleil: Canadian magic

A proudly Canadian-owned company that has not only rocked, but awed, inspired and fascinated the world, is Cirque du Soleil. Started in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, and founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by former street performers Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix, it has become the largest circus entertainment company in the world, with over 40 productions since its inception. The name, which translates to “circus of the sun”, is embodied by the logo created by Josée Belanger, which depicts the sun, symbolizing youth, energy and dynamism. It’s based on the look of a Tarot card. I’ve seen every performance that has come to Vancouver under Le Grand Chapiteau, and not a single one has disappointed. They are all on brand with a blend of artistry, creativity, power and entertainment for all ages.

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Lululemon: Creating components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives

Lululemon was established in Vancouver in 1998 by Dennis “Chip” Wilson, after going to a yoga class and noticing that there were no great options for breathable, comfortable, flattering yoga wear. He decided to do something about it! His inspiration for the name came from Japanese customers’ fascination with brands containing the letter “l”; the lowercase in the logo gives it a friendly, relaxed vibe. The font is a customized version of “Calibre” by Klim Type Foundry. The icon is based on the Greek letter, Omega, a symbol of mastery, perpetual growth and accomplishment, which resonates beautifully with the brand’s philosophy and target audience. The striking Lululemon logo can be seen globally in Europe, Asia and many other regions of the world. There is a powerful emotional connection with its audience, symbolizing the lifestyle and mindset they aspire to: balance, strength and style.

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NHL: Founded in Canada, made for North America

Although it is now a North American League, Canada can still claim the roots of the National Hockey League as its own. Probably unbeknownst to many of our Southern neighbours, the NHL began at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal in 1917. It evolved from the National Hockey Association, which was founded in Ontario in 1909. Initially, the NHL was only four Canadian teams: the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Arenas. It expanded into the US in 1924 when the Boston Bruins joined the league. Now there are 32 teams in the league, only 7 of which are Canadian. The NHL is considered the world's premier professional ice hockey league, and according to the CBC, has an average of 1.27 million viewers per game broadcast, including programming in Cree and Inuktitut languages. The very first NHL logo, as we know it, was designed in 1971. The essential elements are still there, but the emblem and fonts have been refreshed over the years, with a more significant rebrand in 2005, done in-house, which added a slight serif to the font and that Stanley Cup shine using gradients. The NHL brand is powerful, modern, inclusive and Canadian by birth.

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Roots: Proudly rooted in Canada, inspired by nature

Roots Canada was founded in 1973 by Michael Budman and Don Green, who met in the 1960s at a summer camp in Algonquin Park. “ It was a 12-hour trip by train, bus and boat to Camp Tamakwa in the heart of Canada’s wilderness that would change everything.” In 1973, they launched their first product, a quirky outdoor shoe with a reverse rubber heel. I remember trying it on in 1974 and feeling like I was falling backwards. But I still begged my mum to buy me a pair! It was super trendy at the time. The name “Roots” came about because of that initial footwear product, as your feet are the roots that connect you to the earth. The beaver in the logo is a significant Canadian icon, symbolizing nature and an industrious life. It’s also a reminder of those summers at Camp Tamakwa. The Roots wordmark was designed by Heather Cooper and Robert Burns in the 1970s, with the beaver logo used in 1985 to launch the Roots athletic brand. Roots is a truly Canadian company and it’s no wonder they were commissioned to design uniforms for Team Canada in 1998 for the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan and continued designing stylish Team Canada gear until the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, in 2008. Even Douglas Coupland created designs for limited edition merchandise for Roots Canada. Today, Roots ships merchandise from its online store to over 60 countries worldwide. It has 100+ company-operated stores across Canada, and more than 100 partner-operated retail stores that sell Roots products in Asia.

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Shopify: Yes, it’s Canadian

Speaking of “roots”, it’s not well known that Shopify has Canadian roots. It began in 2004, when Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake got frustrated with existing e-commerce solutions and decided to build their own platform, Snowdevil, to sell snowboarding equipment. Snowdevil launched as Shopify in 2006. In 2015, Shopify became a multinational company, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Tobias Lütke is still with Shopify as the CEO. The impact this platform has had on point of sale and e-commerce is astronomical; as of 2025, over 5.23 million companies are using the platform, which is available in more than 175 countries. The logo, although simple and not amazing, is easily recognizable and iconic. The Shopify brand has truly rocked the world!