Brands they made famous
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Start creating legendary campaigns today with your AI-powered creative director.
“Doubt everything. It’s the most effective way to get to big new ideas.”
Paul Lavoie's career is a testament to entrepreneurial spirit and creative rebellion. He began his journey as a designer then as an Art Director at JWT and Creative Director at Cossette, a major Canadian agency, but his ambition led him to co-found TAXI in Montreal in 1992 with partner Jane Hope. With 7 offices in North America and Europe, they created a new kind of agency: nimble, integrated, and built around the central creative mantra: Doubt the Conventional. Create the Exceptional. Paul has received multiple lifetime achievement awards for his body of work and contributions to the industry. His influence redefined the Canadian advertising landscape and proved that a design-led, integrated agency model could compete on the global stage. Paul has since launched his own brand beaulake.com which gives him a fresh client perspective on the industry.
My favorite award is solving a business problem.
Paul Lavoie’s creative approach is rooted in the philosophy of "Constructive Doubt." He believes that great ideas only emerge after you've rigorously questioned and discarded the obvious ones. His methodology involves deconstructing the brief to find the client's *real* business problem, not just their communication request. He champions radical simplicity, striving for ideas so clear they can be understood in seconds. His process is highly collaborative and integrated, erasing lines between design, advertising, media and strategy to ensure the core concept is executed flawlessly across every consumer touchpoint.
Visually driven by a single "big idea," favoring bold, witty, and graphic compositions with impeccable art direction. Photography is versatile, ranging from authentic, human-centric shots that capture genuine emotion (Viagra, Canadian Tire) to highly stylized, clever product-as-hero visuals (MINI, Telus). The signature visual element is a minimalist graphic expression.
Constructive Doubt
Launched the brand in Canada with the "Let's Motor" platform, using witty, guerilla, and space-defying print and out-of-home ads that became iconic.
2002-2010
The Gold Lion-winning "Good Morning" campaign, which humanized erectile dysfunction by focusing on the emotional benefit of intimacy and connection, changing the category conversation.
2005
Created the enduring "The Future is Friendly" brand platform, using charming animals in clean, white environments to represent the brand's values and product benefits.
2001
Powerful pro-bono work including the award-winning "Street is no place for a child" campaign, using stark visuals of children's items abandoned on the street to raise awareness for youth homelessness.
1990s-2000s
Clear Channel Outdoor Ignited a July 4th Celebration with the first cross-country digital billboard display of “The Star Spangled Banner”
2012-2014