SDG\TBWA Wins Red Dot Award for “Canadian Seafood Treasures” in Brand & Communication Design

October 17, 2025,  Oslo, Norway – Canadian Seafood Treasures, the new international brand created by SDG\TBWA for the Atlantic Groundfish Council, has received the prestigious Red Dot Award in the Brands & Communication Design category. The accolade recognises outstanding creative excellence and strategic impact in a global seafood market defined by fierce competition and complex value chains.

Turning Origin into Brand Value

The Canadian Seafood Treasures initiative was built to solve one of the seafood industry’s hardest challenges — creating value and recognition for origin in a supply chain where fish species have no logos, and few have an incentive to promote their provenance.

“Fish doesn’t come with a logo,” said Valgeir Magnússon, CEO of SDG\TBWA and Scandinavian Design Group, and Chairman of Pipar\TBWA.
“In a market where intermediaries often benefit from presenting fish as local, turning origin into a competitive advantage is an enormous challenge. What we’ve achieved with Canadian whitefish shows that even in the toughest conditions, it’s possible to build the same kind of value connection Norwegian salmon enjoys.”

From Story to Sales

The campaign targeted buyers, category managers, and purchasing teams across Europe, Asia, and Africa — repositioning Canadian groundfish species such as cod and haddock as symbols of trust, sustainability, and consistent quality.

“What makes this project so rewarding is that it worked from story to sales,” said Carita Jonassen, Project Lead at SDG\TBWA and Scandinavian Design Group in Oslo.
“We saw perception shift from origin being a complication to becoming a business advantage. One of the largest Nordic retail chains even changed course after seeing the brand’s impact in the media — that’s a tangible result.”

The work also introduced an Account-Based Marketing activation framework, helping the Atlantic Groundfish Council strategically expand in key international markets.

A Pan-Nordic Effort

Strategic direction was led by Valgeir Magnússon in Norway, Darri Johansen at Pipar\TBWA in Iceland, and Louise Sonne Bergström at TBWA\Copenhagen in Denmark. Execution was coordinated by Carita Jonassen in Oslo, supported by TBWA agencies across Europe and West Africa. Insights were gathered through close collaboration with the client and via a Disruption® workshop in Brussels, facilitated by Bruce Chapman, former Chairman of the Atlantic Groundfish Council.

“Winning a Red Dot Award is a great honour,” said Magnússon. “But the true reward is helping an industry that feeds the world find new value through branding — making Canadian seafood more visible, more trusted, and more valuable in global markets.”

About Canadian Seafood Treasures

Canadian Seafood Treasures is a brand platform developed by the Atlantic Groundfish Council to connect global buyers, retailers, and importers with premium seafood from Canada. It provides a unified foundation for storytelling, trade marketing, and sustainable positioning across multiple species, helping elevate Canadian seafood on the world stage.

About the Red Dot Award

The Red Dot Design Award is one of the world’s most respected design competitions, honouring excellence in product design, communication design, and design concepts. Winning a Red Dot represents the highest standard of creative achievement and strategic innovation.