In an industry frequently characterized by rapid trend cycles and fragmented messaging, Cleansheet Communications stands apart through disciplined focus and principled execution. Operating from Toronto under the domain cleansheet.ca, this independently owned full-service agency has, since its founding in 2005, consistently delivered brand platforms that generate measurable commercial results while fostering genuine cultural resonance. Its foundational premise remains straightforward yet exacting: a clean sheet of paper, approached with intellectual rigor and open-mindedness, constitutes an invitation to substantive achievement.
Foundational Philosophy and Organizational Design
Cleansheet was established by Neil McOstrich, Chief Storytelling Officer, and Catherine Frank, Chief Strategic Officer two seasoned leaders who previously held senior positions at multinational agencies including BBDO and DDB. Collectively, they had contributed to multiple digital marketing strategy agencies of the Year recognitions and campaigns of enduring national significance. Their decision to form an independent practice reflected a deliberate assessment of unmet client needs: the requirement for senior-level strategic engagement, reduced organizational layers, and a culture oriented toward constructive optimism rather than reactive cynicism.
The agency’s structure prioritizes direct access to experienced practitioners, enabling efficient decision-making and accountability to results rather than remote corporate oversight. This model has supported sustained client relationships across packaged goods, retail, telecommunications, hospitality, education, government, and non-profit sectors. Internal culture reinforces the external positioning: collaborative practices, low employee turnover relative to industry norms, and a consistent emphasis on work that inspires both corporate stakeholders and end consumers.
Distinctive Campaign Achievements
Cleansheet’s portfolio demonstrates the practical application of its philosophy. The multi-year “We All Play for Canada” platform developed for Canadian Tire remains a benchmark. Conceived in the context of the retailer’s Olympic sponsorship, the work identified a unifying human insight—the shared Canadian affinity for inclusive play—and translated it into a comprehensive communications system. One element, the film “Wheels,” depicted neighbourhood children adapting a basketball game to include a peer using a wheelchair. Produced with authenticity and narrative restraint, the film accumulated more than 252 million unpaid views and over 4.1 million shares—approximately twice the combined shares of the top ten Super Bowl commercials of the corresponding year. Beyond audience metrics, the platform contributed to elevated brand perception, purchase consideration, and internal organizational alignment.
Equally noteworthy is the CanadaSound initiative, a nationwide collaborative project that invited citizens to contribute everyday sonic memories. These contributions informed original compositions by established Canadian musicians, culminating in an album whose proceeds supported MusiCounts, a charity dedicated to providing musical instruments to underserved youth. The project exemplifies Cleansheet’s capacity to orchestrate inclusive, multi-stakeholder creative endeavours of national scale.
Additional work for clients including Lysol, Finish, Marriott, George Brown College, the Ontario Cannabis Store, and more recent assignments for the National Institute on Ageing and Resolve further illustrates range and strategic discipline. Across categories, the agency systematically seeks the alignment of brand authenticity with relevant human insight, producing communications that motivate both rational consideration and emotional engagement.
Comprehensive Service Capabilities
Cleansheet provides integrated services spanning brand strategy, communications and channel planning, advertising development, design systems, content production, and digital execution. Proprietary approaches such as Barrier Busting methodology and structured incubation sessions facilitate discovery and platform development. An in-house production capability supports efficient delivery of video content across formats, from short-form social assets to extended brand narratives.
The agency’s emphasis on senior involvement and cross-disciplinary collaboration enables clients to achieve accelerated timelines without sacrificing strategic coherence. Deliverables are designed not merely for short-term visibility but for sustained brand equity and operational alignment within client organizations.
The Continuing Relevance of Constructive Creativity
Cleansheet’s commitment to hopeful, inclusive storytelling has proven commercially advantageous. Campaigns that foster internal and external consensus around a shared motivation tend to generate compounding returns—enhanced employee engagement, stronger consumer affinity, and durable brand assets. Recognition through Clios, Effies, CMA awards, and industry rankings validates this approach, yet the more significant measure remains the longevity of the platforms created and the commercial outcomes realized by clients.
As the agency advances beyond its twentieth year, it continues to seek partners characterized by a challenger orientation and a willingness to invest in ideas of lasting consequence. In an environment of increasing complexity and shorter attention cycles, Cleansheet’s disciplined return to foundational principles—clarity of insight, integrity of craft, and optimism grounded in evidence—positions it as a reliable resource for organizations seeking meaningful differentiation.
Cleansheet.ca therefore represents more than a digital presence. It serves as the public expression of a practice that treats every assignment as an opportunity to convert potential into purposeful progress. For senior marketers evaluating agency partnerships, the record demonstrates a consistent capacity to translate strategic intent into work of both commercial and cultural substance.
