2025 Winner
GoldBest Cultural Insights
SilverBest in Websites and Microsites
Rona
"DIYictionary"
Starcom
"DIYictionary"
Starcom
Celebrating its 85th anniversary, Rona set out to redefine the retail experience for Quebecers and rebuild trust that had diminished following its acquisition by Lowe’s. The brand’s 2023 sale presented a timely opportunity to reconnect with local consumers and reaffirm Rona’s identity as a brand deeply rooted in Quebec’s culture and values. The campaign’s core objective was to re-establish Rona’s retail presence by embedding the brand into the everyday cultural fabric of Quebec.
Quebecers gravitate toward content that reflects their unique cultural and linguistic identity. And when it comes to DIY, they often speak in Frenglish. For instance, while a caulking gun is technically “pistolet à calfeutrer” in French, Quebecers commonly say “gun à caulking.” Similarly, a grinder becomes a “grindeur,” and a Sawzall is affectionately called a “césar.” However, most major hardware retailers only use standard French terminology on their websites — making it difficult for consumers to find what they’re actually looking for.
To address this, they launched the “DIYctionary” — a strategy that embraced local linguistic quirks by teaching the website to understand them. This transformed Rona’s site into a more intuitive and culturally relevant search tool for Quebecers tackling renovation projects. By bridging the language gap, the agency made the digital retail experience more accessible and relatable, ensuring consumers could finally find products using the terms they actually use.
The agency kicked off the campaign by identifying over 150 local expressions to integrate into Rona’s transactional website.
This effort required substantial collaboration between agencies, clients, and the web team to adapt the search engine, ensuring it recognized these local terms while still preserving proper French terminology. These keywords were also embedded into existing Google Search campaigns to drive traffic to the updated site.
To deepen engagement, we produced a 60-second video inviting the public to suggest more local terms for the website’s search engine. The video was shared across social media, online platforms, and aired during Montreal Canadians games to help maximize reach and resonance.
The agency also leveraged Rona’s sponsorship of the Montreal Canadians at the Bell Centre. During a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a rink board cheekily advertised that you could find at Rona … a leaf bloweur (blower).
Rona’s “DIYctionary” campaign, a groundbreaking first in Canada’s Retail sector for incorporating a language dialect into search marketing, tapped into cultural insight by embracing the uniquely Quebecois phenomenon of “Frenglish.” The campaign skillfully wove these everyday expressions into both their digital platform and marketing efforts, creating a shopping experience that felt authentically local and deeply relatable.
This innovative approach demonstrated the power of cultural fluency in brand communication, helping Rona stand out in a saturated retail landscape. The campaign proved that meaningful engagement comes from recognizing and reflecting real consumer behaviors and cultural truths — embedding them into the heart of a brand’s strategy and storytelling.
The idea hit the nail on Quebec’s head. This inventive campaign delivered impressive results across the board, successfully realigning Rona’s brand with the Quebec community.
On social media alone, Rona garnered 5 million organic impressions — boosting brand visibility and sparking consumer engagement. Quebecers even began suggesting new terms they’d like added to the website!
Website traffic in Quebec surged by 125% during launch week and remained high for ten weeks. This spike not only reflected immediate interest but also hinted at long-term sales potential.
The campaign also triggered 22,000 new searches in the weeks following launch, proving the effectiveness of integrating local language into the digital experience. Ultimately, the campaign led to a positive shift in brand preference, solidifying Rona’s role as a trusted partner for renovation projects in Quebec.
Quebecers gravitate toward content that reflects their unique cultural and linguistic identity. And when it comes to DIY, they often speak in Frenglish. For instance, while a caulking gun is technically “pistolet à calfeutrer” in French, Quebecers commonly say “gun à caulking.” Similarly, a grinder becomes a “grindeur,” and a Sawzall is affectionately called a “césar.” However, most major hardware retailers only use standard French terminology on their websites — making it difficult for consumers to find what they’re actually looking for.
To address this, they launched the “DIYctionary” — a strategy that embraced local linguistic quirks by teaching the website to understand them. This transformed Rona’s site into a more intuitive and culturally relevant search tool for Quebecers tackling renovation projects. By bridging the language gap, the agency made the digital retail experience more accessible and relatable, ensuring consumers could finally find products using the terms they actually use.
The agency kicked off the campaign by identifying over 150 local expressions to integrate into Rona’s transactional website.
This effort required substantial collaboration between agencies, clients, and the web team to adapt the search engine, ensuring it recognized these local terms while still preserving proper French terminology. These keywords were also embedded into existing Google Search campaigns to drive traffic to the updated site.
To deepen engagement, we produced a 60-second video inviting the public to suggest more local terms for the website’s search engine. The video was shared across social media, online platforms, and aired during Montreal Canadians games to help maximize reach and resonance.
The agency also leveraged Rona’s sponsorship of the Montreal Canadians at the Bell Centre. During a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a rink board cheekily advertised that you could find at Rona … a leaf bloweur (blower).
Rona’s “DIYctionary” campaign, a groundbreaking first in Canada’s Retail sector for incorporating a language dialect into search marketing, tapped into cultural insight by embracing the uniquely Quebecois phenomenon of “Frenglish.” The campaign skillfully wove these everyday expressions into both their digital platform and marketing efforts, creating a shopping experience that felt authentically local and deeply relatable.
This innovative approach demonstrated the power of cultural fluency in brand communication, helping Rona stand out in a saturated retail landscape. The campaign proved that meaningful engagement comes from recognizing and reflecting real consumer behaviors and cultural truths — embedding them into the heart of a brand’s strategy and storytelling.
The idea hit the nail on Quebec’s head. This inventive campaign delivered impressive results across the board, successfully realigning Rona’s brand with the Quebec community.
On social media alone, Rona garnered 5 million organic impressions — boosting brand visibility and sparking consumer engagement. Quebecers even began suggesting new terms they’d like added to the website!
Website traffic in Quebec surged by 125% during launch week and remained high for ten weeks. This spike not only reflected immediate interest but also hinted at long-term sales potential.
The campaign also triggered 22,000 new searches in the weeks following launch, proving the effectiveness of integrating local language into the digital experience. Ultimately, the campaign led to a positive shift in brand preference, solidifying Rona’s role as a trusted partner for renovation projects in Quebec.
Credits
Creative AgencyCreative Director: David Lambert
Art Director: Félix-Antoine Brunet
Copywriter: Olivier Goulet-Lafond
Account Group Director: Thalie Poulin
Account Director: Sylvie Crête
Account Executive: Gabrielle Crépeau-Hubert
Strategy: Jean-Claude Kikongi, Sophie Gibeault
Executive Producer: Marie-Soleil Patry
Producer: Alexandra Michaud
Motion designer: Paul Gaspari, Noah Dauphinais
Editor: Daniel Daigle
Media relations manager: Pauline Lazarus
Client
Senior Director, Brand Marketing: Jacynthe Prince
Head, Brand Marketing, Advertising and Influence Marketing: Myriam Bernier
Specialist, Influencer Marketing and Social Media: Caroline Hurtubise
Media Agency
VP, Media: Alexandra Lafond
Group Account Director Valérie Jolivet
Associate Director: Céline Juin
Media Assistante: Yasmine Moukhaiber