The Port of Montreal is small and sits inland on the St Lawrence river in Eastern Canada. These two factors alone allow it to handle large volumes of cargo more flexibly and efficiently than much larger competitors.

However, because it competes with its neighbouring ports of New York and Boston, it is rarely top of mind among industry executives.

To change this, the Port needed an eye-catching new brand campaign that expressed its Ship different ethos.

The Port of Montreal is a mid-size port that sits inland on the St Lawrence River. Its size, advantageous location, and on-rail docks connect it directly with the industrial heart of North America. Thanks to its privileged ties with first-class international shipping partners, it also offers some of the most direct routes to key ports in Europe and Asia.

We needed industry decision makers in Eastern Canada, the US Midwest, Asia and Europe to realize that the Port of Montreal was a more flexible, efficient and cost-effective alternative to more top-of-mind, larger competitors.

Presenting Form & Flow: The Art of Shipping.

The Port embodies both these contrasting yet complementary forces. It represents form through its complex machinery, cargo, and expert processes. But it also expresses the flow of trade routes, efficient operations, and connectivity.

Its expansive docks thus became the subject of the photography campaign. Seen through the lens, industrial elements transformed into objects of unexpected beauty that revealed the Port’s dual nature.

To amplify this striking dichotomy, the resulting photos were laid out in a flexible design grid system that itself exemplified the principles of form and flow. It also allowed for precise, consistent messaging that could be adapted to key markets.

The shipping industry is notoriously conservative. In daring to stand out, this bold design-driven platform convinced many industry executives to take another look at the Port of Montreal.