Barrett and Welsh

Call Directions Website Contact the business

Barrett and Welsh We put ideas first to make ideas last. We move people. To act and react. To respond and remember. To respect and represent. We are proud to be a certified B-Corp.

A minority-led, inclusion-focused, creativity-powered behaviour-changemaker that puts ideas first to make ideas last, Barrett and Welsh is not in the advertising business but in the moving business. To change themselves or others, or to hold firm for the principles that serve their shared humanity best. We are driven to create unforgettable, unexpected, long lived ideas that in turn create social and behavioural change, inclusion, acceptance and progress. We want to make ourselves invaluable by embracing the future without fear to produce targeted, differentiating branding and communications of lasting value for the community that we, our clients and consumers all belong to. We produce extremely creative, channel-agnostic, idea-centric work for a variety of clients in mass and multicultural markets across North America. (Whew!)

The agency has produced award winning ideas for government and packaged goods, for cars, b**r, financial services, for sustainable development and transit (we may be a world leader in this category). Clients we have worked for: The Dalai Lama, TD Bank, P&G, Allstate, Brampton Transit, Viva, York Region Transit, The City of Brampton, Niagara Region, Creative Spirit Art Centre, Burlington Transit. To name a few.

09/21/2026

We are delighted to welcome you to our 51st Tartan Turban Secret Readings at 7 pm on Friday, September 25, 2026 at Barrett and Welsh. Curated by Gavin Barrett (Gavin Barrett). Featuring PAMELA MORDECAI, George Elliott Clarke, Rabindranath Maharaj, Gavin Barrett and a presentation by family and friends of the late Mayank Bhatt’s posthumously published Trachea. Book your free ticket on LuMa now - link in bio!

How does the most awarded multicultural agency in Canadian marketing stay the most awarded multicultural agency in Canad...
09/04/2026

How does the most awarded multicultural agency in Canadian marketing stay the most awarded multicultural agency in Canadian marketing? By winning so many awards it’s damn near impossible to count them. Barrett and Welsh is proud to announce that it has been awarded one of only six Top Agency Awards for the collective impact of our wins at the 2026 Summit Awards. The Summits recognize small agencies and our haul included a Best of Show for Branding (The Bombay Duck Press), 2 golds (for Lexus and POCAM - People of Colour in Advertising & Marketing) and a bronze for our hilarious Christmas e-greeting (DM us with your email address to get on our mailing list for this year’s dose of sprayouteggnoggthroughyournose hilarity). Also. We know, we know. We should have - could have - made this post a humblebrag like good Canadians should. Recognized our worthy competitors etc., etc. But too late now eh. Spilt milk under the bridge eh. Etc., etc. Sorry not sorry.

It’s a serendipitous moment when judge and category are truly made for each other. The Canadian Marketing Association’s ...
08/28/2026

It’s a serendipitous moment when judge and category are truly made for each other. The Canadian Marketing Association’s 2026 Inclusive Marketing Award is meant to celebrate work that authentically addresses racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity, LGBTQ2S+ communities, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, newcomers to Canada, age diversity, body diversity, and intersectional identities. So it comes as no surprise that our founder, CEO, and CCO, Gavin Barrett (Gavin Barrett in these parts) is a featured judge. Gavin relentlessly pursues the principles of and in everything he does, in public and in private, often at personal cost. His commitment shows up everywhere. In the work he does with POCAM (POCAM - People of Colour in Advertising & Marketing) and the Multicultural Marketing Alliance of Canada — both non-profits that he co-founded. In the work he shapes at Barrett and Welsh to create inclusion and access for equity-denied minorities through branding and advertising. In the role he plays as EDI Co-Chair for the The League of Canadian Poets. In the IBPOC writers and literature he spotlights at the Tartan Turban Secret Readings. Here’s to celebrating truly inclusive marketing and the people who dedicate themselves to making it happen. May the best work win!

08/18/2026

It’s hard to believe that we are about to celebrate our 50th Tartan Turban Secret Readings. Curated by Priya, TTSR50, features Sonal Champsee (writer), KIRBY, Rajinderpal Pal, the work of Anahid Hagopian read by her daughter Antonia Swan, and Stephanie Wyeld. This Friday, August 21, from 7 to 10 PM at Barrett and Welsh.

We are sold out but you can still waitlist yourself or sign up for the livestream via the Luma link in our bio.

When great work calls for a great judge, Nitin Bagga steps up to answer the call. We are proud to announce that our COO ...
08/03/2026

When great work calls for a great judge, Nitin Bagga steps up to answer the call. We are proud to announce that our COO and CSO, Nitin Bagga, will be on the 2026 ANA Multicultural and Inclusive Marketing Excellence Awards jury. The ANA Multicultural and Inclusive Marketing Awards recognize the best-in-class work and powerful cultural insights that help brands effectively connect with diverse consumers. Inclusive marketing drives creativity, connection, and business growth and these awards honour the teams who create it, thanks to the wisdom and experience of judges like Nitin.

06/25/2026

Our community knows brilliance. We are sold out. Thank you for supporting our reading series and if you weren’t able to stage a ticket do join us via the live-stream in our Tartan Turban Secret Readings Facebook group tomorrow: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JUdh2bGC5/

Barrett and Welsh is pleased to announce that we have been selected by Amnesty International Canada to handle its Canadi...
06/19/2026

Barrett and Welsh is pleased to announce that we have been selected by Amnesty International Canada to handle its Canadian brand and donor engagement needs. At a time when the industry appears to be swept up in an AI fever dream, a downsizing of DEI, the sunsetting of century-old marquee agency brands, the relentless mashing of massive agencies into each other in a HoldCo branded Death Star trash compactor accompanied by tens of thousands of layoffs, our minority-owned Toronto-based agency has been quietly working on defining what the agency of the future looks like. We have been a registered since 2016, a - certified minority supplier since 2018 and a member of , the global network of the world’s best independent agencies, since 2025.
Driven by creative talent, we are striving to use technology to double down on human values and to produce truly inclusive, high-impact branding and advertising that lives up to our claim:
Ideas that move people. Ideas that leave no one behind.

“Change will only come from action—consistent, committed action.” That’s our founder  (Gavin Barrett), pushing for chang...
02/23/2026

“Change will only come from action—consistent, committed action.” That’s our founder  (Gavin Barrett), pushing for change in the industry as he always does.

This thoughtful, thought-provoking two-part article on BIPOC progress in Canadian advertising and what’s hampering it by Jonathan Russell for  is an important read because for us as an agency, DEI is DNA.

We also hear from Gavin’s fellow DEI advocate and friend, Jefferson Darrell of ™ Inc. And we get to hear insights from DEI leaders inside agencies like Publicis Canada’s Juanita Kwarteng and Rethink’s Yogi Omar.

As a B Lab Certified B Corporation (and 100% minority-owned and led agency), we want to “B the Change.” It’s why we drive change through our work and through the causes we support. And, as Gavin says, “The change is coming.”

Links (also in bio): Part 1:
https://strategyonline.ca/2026/02/17/bipoc-canada-marketing/

Part 2:
https://strategyonline.ca/2026/02/18/bipoc-canada-marketing-part-2/

Paywall? Jefferson has shared the article here:
https://lnkd.in/gT2c8SU4

12/20/2025

Because we can’t unhear the things we mishear, we’re sharing them with you. Presenting our mini-compendium of Christmas mondegreens. Enjoy. Happy holly days all, from the team at Barrett and Welsh.



Video description: 
Video features mondegreens—commonly misheard (and often wrongly sung) lyrics from famous Christmas carols set in white type on a Christmas green background. In order of appearance: Jangle bells, Good King Wence’s car backed out on a piece of Stephen; Oh hell, oh hell, oh hell; God and sinners wrecked your smile; We three kings of Oregon are; angels we have heard when high; while shepherds wash their socks by night; hark the hairy angels sing; walking in our winter underwear; all I want for Christmas is stew; now bring us a frigging pudding; Go! Jelly on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. The video signs off with the text that says it has been brought to you by Olive, the other reindeer and by your friends at Barrett and Welsh (not Wear it and Belch).

We were so pleased to be able to partner with Ripples of Kindness to serve Torontonians who need the warmth of human con...
12/14/2025

We were so pleased to be able to partner with Ripples of Kindness to serve Torontonians who need the warmth of human connection as much as a hot meal served by loving hands on a snowy day. We came away with our hearts full. Anthony Das Suo Cheung Gavin Barrett ()

Address

577 Kingston Road, #301
Toronto, ON
M4E1R3

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14166288503

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Barrett and Welsh posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Barrett and Welsh:

Shortcuts

Share