“Canadian. Spoken here.” is Barrett and Welsh’s multimedia campaign for IDP, the world’s largest provider of the IELTS English language proficiency test.

Most test takers—immigrants and international students see English tests transactionally and functionally, a hurdle to overcome in order to become Canadian. They are intimidated by the fact that English is not their first language, that they have accents, and that their English may be seen as “inferior.” They are anxious, as most people are before any test.

Instead of selling tests that everyone has to take, we chose to tell a brand story. We set out to reduce the anxiety and doubt tests cause, and to make test takers feel welcomed as they are, for who they are.

We positioned the IDP brand as a doorway to Canadian life and not a barrier. Not a test but the answer. Chosen by millions to achieve their dream of settling in Canada. “___ Spoken here.” is a common welcoming phrase on signs in popular tourist destinations globally.

We made IDP a sign of welcome, the brand that says, warmly, “Canadian. Spoken here.“ Because welcoming others is one of the most Canadian of things. It’s how we speak “Canadian.”

The campaign ran on TV, on digital and on OOH.