2026 Winner

In a category dominated by DIY messaging, “Half-Ass” repositioned RONA around professional standards. Instead of encouraging more projects, the campaign focused on doing them right, tapping into a builder’s disdain for poor workmanship. The idea came to life through a literal “half-ass” character – a half-donkey that appears whenever subpar work is called out – turning a familiar phrase into a memorable brand device. Supported by film and bold OOH, the campaign stood apart from category conventions while reinforcing craftsmanship. The approach resonated, delivering RONA’s strongest performance in five years, with 54% brand attribution, 73% brand love and a 101% increase in website traffic

Credits

Agency
Courage

Founder + CCO: Dhaval Bhatt
Founder + CCO: Joel Holtby
Partner + President: Niki Sahni
Partner + CSO: Tom Kenny
Partner + Executive Producer: Clair Galea
Managing Director: Saloni Wadehra
Creative Director: Jesse Wilks
Creative Director: Gerardo Agbuya
Associate Creative Director: Zuheir Kotob
Associate Creative Director: Jason Soy
Senior Producer: Sarah Moen
Strategy Director: Derek Mollenhauer
Account Director: Camilo Moreno
PR Director: Natalia Banoub


Client
RONA

SVP, Marketing & CX: Catherine Laporte
Sr Director, Brand Marketing: Jacynthe Prince
Manager, Brand Marketing: Myriam Bernier
Marketing Specialist: Vanessa Imbeault



Production
SMUGGLER x SOFT CITIZEN

Director: Guy Shelmerdine
Founding Partner: Patrick Milling-Smith
Founding Partner: Brian Carmody
Chief Operating Officer: Andrew Colón
Managing Director: Sue Yeon Ahn
Managing Director, Executive Producer: Eva Preger
Executive Producer: Link York
Head of Production/ EP: Rob Burns
Line Producer: Vanessa Lenarduzzi
Director of Photography: Chris Soos
Puppet Designers: Masters FX
Production Designer: Gus Ward
Casting: Sean Milliken
Production Manager: Annie Marcoux
Production Coordinator: Kendall Jade


Editorial
Outsider

Chris Murphy - Editor / Founding Partner
Kayan Choi - Executive Producer
Kelsey Dale- McGrath > Producer
Daniel Karan - Assistant Editor

VFX & Online
Parliament
VFX Artist: Narbeh Mardirossian
VFX Producer: Emma Hertz

Colour
Royal Muster


Colorist: Lasse Selvli
Color Assists: Esli Israel , Celene Curlee, Zack Wilpon
Executive Producer: Thatcher Peterson
Head of Production: Diane Valera



Audio
Vapor Music


Executive Creative Director: Joey Serlin
Executive Producer: Kailee Nowosad
Sound Designer: Kevin Chamberlain
Engineer: Julian Rudd
Original Music - Vapor Music




Media Partner
Cossette Media