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With one day to go before Cannes Lions 2026 officially kicks off, the festival unveiled its third wave of shortlist announcements, adding to Canada’s growing tally. Canadian agencies earned 66 additional shortlist nominations on Sunday, bringing the country’s total to 105 so far. At the same point last year, Canada had collected 98 shortlist mentions.

Among agencies, Courage led with nine shortlist appearances today, while Rethink got eight. Klick Health followed close behind with six. TBWA\Canada got five.

Standing out this round is “Kyle F*cking Connor” for KFC Canada, developed by Courage with media support from UM Toronto. The campaign taps into Winnipeg’s hockey culture by finding common ground between what Jets fans rally around and what is distinctly KFC. It builds on the fan-given nickname for the Winnipeg Jets forward – “Kyle F*cking Connor” – whose initials happen to match those of the fast-food chain.

The idea turned the fan-created moniker into a playoff platform during the Jets’ NHL postseason run. As part of the campaign, KFC temporarily rebranded a Winnipeg restaurant as “Kyle F*cking Connor” and introduced limited-edition Whiteout buckets featuring the star, tying the brand to the city’s playoff tradition.

Designed by Dentsu Creative, meanwhile, “Game On Ball” for True Hockey earned seven shortlist spots. The advocacy campaign addresses the growing problem of “rat-running,” where navigation apps divert drivers off main roads and through residential neighbourhoods to avoid traffic, making local streets less safe for children at play.

To tackle the issue, True Hockey partnered with Olympic hockey player Natalie Spooner to develop “Game On Ball,” a connected street hockey ball that interacts with navigation apps. When the ball is in use, it generates signals that make mapping services interpret the area as congested, encouraging drivers to take alternate routes. The initiative uses technology to help reduce through-traffic on residential streets, creating safer spaces for kids and communities to play hockey.

See who picked up shortlist nods in the first and second waves.

Design (6)

“Supernova Adaptive”
Adidas
TBWA\Canada, Toronto
Product Design
Inclusive Design

“Infinite Saree”
Red Dot Foundation
Klick Health, Toronto
Media: Klick Health, Toronto
PR: Klick Health, Toronto
Promotional Items/Promotional Printed Media
Design for Behavioural Change

“Fries Need Heinz”
Heinz Ketchup
Rethink, Toronto
Media: Carat, Toronto
PR: Zeno Group
IP-Led Brand Identity & Storytelling

“The Undropped Kit”
Asics
Gut, Toronto / Golin Ketchum London
Design for Behavioural Change

Direct (13)

“Heinz Dipper”
Heinz Ketchup
Rethink, Toronto
PR: Zeno Group, Toronto
Consumer Goods
Small-Scale Media
Experience Design

“Buzzcodes”
Volkswagen
VML, Toronto
PR: Burson, Toronto
Automotive

“The Count”
Sickkids Foundation
TBWA\Canada / FCB, Toronto
Media: Cairns Oneil, Toronto
PR: Citizen Relations, Toronto
Not-for-profit / Charity / Government

“Game on Ball”
True Hockey
Dentsu Creative, Toronto
Media: Dentsu Creative, Toronto
PR: Dentsu Creative, Toronto / EGS Group PR, Montreal
Use of Real-Time data
New Realities & Emerging Tech
Social Behaviour

“Kyle F*cking Connor”
KFC Canada
Courage, Toronto
Media: UM Toronto
PR: Narrative XPR, Toronto
Real-Time Response
Single-Market Campaign

“No Return Policy”
Decathlon
Rethink, Toronto
Social Behaviour

“Hockey Smile”
KFC Canada
Courage, Toronto
Media: UM Toronto
Breakthrough on a budget

“Supernova Adaptive”
Adidas
TBWA\Canada, Toronto
Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility

Entertainment (1)

“#MainFlavourEnergy”
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise
Edelman, Toronto
Media: Initiative, Toronto
PR: Edelman, Toronto
Influencer & Co-Creation

Entertainment for Gaming (1)

“Battlefield 6: Destruction Receipts”
Electronic Arts & Battlefield Studios
Sid Lee, Toronto
Challenger Brand

Entertainment for Music (3)

“867-5309”
The Cancer Support Community Helpline
Klick Health, Toronto
Production: Klick Health, Toronto
Media: Klick Health, Toronto
Use of Licensed / Adapted Music
Social Behaviour

“Luther”
Kendrick Lamar
Fela, Toronto / Project 3, LA
Excellence in Music Video

Social & Creator (5)

“Protest March Of The Penguins”
Penguins International
Rethink, Toronto
PR: Rethink, Toronto
Not-For-Profit / Charity / Government

“Scotties Barnes”
Kruger
TBWA\Canada, Toronto
Media: VML, Toronto / Wavemaker, Toronto
Brand Storytelling

“#Mainflavourenergy”
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise
Edelman, Toronto
Media: Initiative, Toronto
PR: Edelman, Toronto
Creator Cross-Channel Storytelling
Creator Collaboration

“Buzzcodes”
Volkswagen
VML, Toronto
PR: Burson, Toronto
Social Commerce

PR (11)

“Sleep Talk Reviews”
Ikea
Rethink, Toronto
Media: Carat, Toronto
Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast-Food Chains
Use Of Humour

“#Mainflavourenergy”
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise
Edelman, Toronto
Media: Initiative, Toronto
PR: Edelman, Toronto
Social Engagement
Innovative Use Of Influencers/Creators

“Protest March Of The Penguins”
Penguins International
Rethink, Toronto
Media: Rethink, Toronto
Real-Time Response
Use Of Events & Stunts

“The Undropped Kit”
Asics
Gut, Toronto / Golin Ketchum, London
Research, Data & Analytics
Brand Voice & Strategic Storytelling

“Kyle F*cking Connor”
KFC Canada
Courage, Toronto
Media: UM, Toronto
PR: NarrativeXPR, Toronto
Single-Market Campaign

“Bullet Holes”
Quebec City Police
Lg2, Quebec
Single-Market Campaign

“Game On Ball”
True Hockey
Dentsu Creative, Toronto
Media: Dentsu Creative, Toronto
PR: Dentsu Creative, Toronto / EGS Group PR Montreal
Social Behaviour

Media (10)

“TD Fractional Window Shopping”
TD
Ogilvy, Toronto
Consumer Services/Business To Business
Use Of Outdoor

“Heinz Dipper”
Heinz Ketchup
Rethink, Toronto
Media: Zeno Group, Toronto / Zeno Group, Chicago
Retail Media

“Defining Help”
Kids Help Phone
McCann Canada, Toronto
Audience Insights
Data-Driven Targeting
Data Integration
Use Of Data & Analytics

“Hush Pillow Fight Championship”
Hush
Angry Butterfly, Toronto
Media: Angry Butterfly, Toronto
Use Of Brand Or Product Integration Into A Programme Or Platform

“867-5309”
The Cancer Support Community
Klick Health, Toronto
Media: Klick Health, Toronto
Social Behaviour

“Sleep Talk Reviews”
Ikea
Rethink, Toronto
Media: Carat, Toronto
Use Of Humour

Industry Craft (4)

“Willie Munro”
Melanoma Fund
Klick Health, Toronto
Photography: Outdoor: Standard

“Guy Jarvis”
Melanoma Fund
Klick Health, Toronto
Photography: Outdoor: Standard

“Caroline Gleich”
Melanoma Fund
Klick Health, Toronto
Photography: Outdoor: Standard

“Silent Edition”
Jeep
Publicis Canada, Toronto
Media: Starcom, Toronto
Photography: Outdoor: Standard

Entertainment For Sport (10)

“Kyle F*cking Connor”
KFC Canada
Courage, Toronto
Media: UM Toronto
PR: NarrativeXPR, Toronto
Brand Storytelling
360 Integrated Brand Experience
Fan Engagement/Distribution Strategy
Brand Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations
Social Behaviour

“Supernova Adaptive”
Adidas
TBWA\Canada, Toronto
Influencer & Co-Creation
Diversity & Inclusion In Sport

“Game On Ball”
True Hockey
Dentsu Creative, Toronto
Media: Dentsu Creative, Toronto
PR: Dentsu Creative, Toronto / EGS Group PR Montreal
Innovation In Sport
Challenger Brand
Social Behaviour

Film Craft (2)

“Dress Yourself”
Simon’s Clothing
Scouts Honour, Toronto
Cinematography

“Tyler’s Walk”
Air Canada
TBWA\Canada, Toronto
Media: Air Canada, Montreal / Initiative, Toronto
PR: Weber Chandwick, Toronto
Cinematography

Outdoor (1)

“Man’s True Best Friend”
Humane Canada and Toronto Human Society
Sid Lee
Media: Panpoly Media Innovation
Breakthrough on a budget